Defiance
by Whistlewind Wolf
Summary: The Games change you, whether you want them to or not. Five years ago, the Dark Days ended and the Games began. This is the tale of a girl who dared to defy the Capitol and their Games. This is the tale of a rebel. "May the odds be ever in your favor." Currently undergoing a major rewrite because I'm EXTREMELY unsatisfied with it. This will be deleted and reposted once it's done.
1. Reaping Day

Reaping Day

Could it really be that time of year again? Already, it was the day of the reaping. I sigh as I remember that I have 34 slips of paper with my name on them. Nine of them were mandatory, and 25 others in exchange for tesserae for my family. My younger sister, Lavender, has signed up for tesserae as well, despite my protests. Her first year of the reaping, and she already has six entries. I'm worried, though my fears seem irrational.

There are thousands of children in the district that are eligible for the reaping, and we are only two. It's unlikely we'll even make it through the preliminary drawing that precedes the actual reaping. District 7's population is huge, despite the fact that the rebellion now called the Dark Days only happened five years ago. Five years since the Dark Days. Four years since my mother died. Three years since my first entry. Two tributes from each district. And ultimately, one survivor.

Oh, how we despise the Capitol. Leaving us to starve while they live the lives of kings. Forcing us to treat these death sentences as a holiday. I sigh again, knowing that another rebellion at this point is impossible and suicidal. Everybody hates the Capitol, but we are too weak to protest. The Peacekeepers would crush us all like bugs.

"Aera, wake up. Time to get ready," I hear someone say. It's Mason, my ten year old brother. "You know what day it is."

"All right," I say. I drag myself out of bed and wake up Lavender, who is still asleep. "Come on, you. Time to get ready for the big event." I try to sound sarcastic, but I come off as weary.

We spend the next few hours preparing ourselves for the reaping. Lavender chooses a button-up blouse that's the same color as the flower she was named for and a simple black skirt. I choose a dark blue dress adorned with sequins that shine like stars. _I'll be pretty for the Capitol,_ I think.

Lavender and I leave for the town square two hours early to take our places for the preliminary drawing, which determines who gets to go to the actual reaping. Three hundred names are chosen from each age group to go to the reaping. In the end, there are 2100 potential tributes. We take our places, and the drawing begins.

We stand in an area designated for the possible tributes, sectioned off by age. They start the preliminaries with the twelve year olds. I watch my sister, listening to the names being called, hoping that the name Lavender Mikena isn't one of them. Luckily, it isn't. Briefly reassured, I pay no attention to the thirteen and fourteen year olds being chosen. When they start calling the names of the fifteen year olds, I stand alert, knowing I could be called at any time. After about fifty names, I hear it: "Aera Mikena". I'm not surprised since this is the third year in a row I've gone to the reaping.

Another two hours pass as the officials call the names in the sixteen to eighteen age groups. Finally, time for the reaping. I look in the sky and figure it to be about two. Those of us that have been chosen for the reaping are moved to the front of the Justice Building, where a platform has been set up for the reaping. It's always laid out the same: A large television screen in the back, a podium in front, the two glass balls containing the names of the males and females on one side, the chairs of the mayor and the district escort on the other, and lights and cameras surrounding the entire thing.

The mayor takes his place at the podium and recites the Treaty of Treason and the history of Panem. Then Angora Solari, District 7's escort, takes the stage. As usual, she's dressed in the standard Capitol fashions. Sky blue hair piled high on her head adorned with golden ladybugs, spring green pantsuit and heels, metallic makeup and nail polish, and all kinds of jewelry practically dripping all over her. To be honest, she looks more normal to us than most capitol people do. On our television at home, I've seen people with outlandish tattoos covering them, others who have dyed their skin, and still others that actually have gems embedded in their skin.

This woman irritates me. Why must all the Capitol citizens be so strange and infuriating? Her accent makes her almost impossible to understand with their clipped vowels and hissed S's, and her perpetual enthusiasm is unbearable. We are being chosen to die, how can anyone be happy about that? She's from the Capitol; they treat it like a competition, a holiday. Of course she's happy about it.

"It's a pleasure to be here once again in District 7," she trills. "Well, it's that time of year again! Time for the reaping!" She sounds overjoyed, giggling as she walks over to the glass ball containing the names of the girls and says, "Ladies first!" She spins it for a few moments before reaching inside and coming out with a slip. She reads to the crowd, "Aera Mikena!"

What? Did she really call Aera Mikena? Did she really call _me_? I'm brought back to my senses as I register the fact that someone is holding on to my arm. I turn to whoever is holding me and find that it's Rose Chamberlain, one of my childhood friends. She's crying as she pulls me in for a quick hug before nudging me gently towards the stage. As I take my place on the stage front, Angora shakes my hand, followed by the mayor.

I look past the crowd to the hills where my youngest sister, Ruby, and our mother are buried. My mother died in the rebellion, murdered by the Capitol puppets called Peacekeepers. Ruby died mere days after I signed for the tesserae. She was ill with a fever for some time before that. The day I signed for tesserae, she wouldn't wake up. She never regained consciousness until she died. None of the district doctors knew what she had. I focus on that spot and say my final goodbyes to them in my head. _I'll join you soon._

Angora scuttles over to the glass ball containing the boys' names and pulls out a slip. She flattens the paper and reads out, "Hunter Romani!"

Of all people, Hunter is chosen to be my district partner? I cringe inside. Hunter is one of my best friends, and my closest confidant. I don't think I'd be able to kill him if I had to. I know he's scared despite the lack of emotion on his face. The fear in his hazel eyes is well concealed, but apparent to me. Perhaps it's because I've known him that long. I honestly hope that someone else will kill him before I have to. He slowly makes his way up the stage to take his place by my side.

Bright and bubbly as ever, Angora says, "All right tributes, time to shake hands." As we do, she turns back to the crowd and warbles, "Happy Hunger Games!" Then she faces us again and says, "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Honestly, must that woman shriek everything she says?


	2. Goodbyes

Goodbyes

As soon as the crowd disperses, we enter the Justice Building and are escorted into a room that oozes opulence, decorated with plush furniture and richly woven tapestries. I wait for my visitors, as I know this is where I will say my final goodbyes. As expected, the first visitors are my family. The first one I hug is my father. He's already lost his wife and one of his children. Now he's about to lose another.

I look to Lavender and Mason and tell them, "Remember what I taught you. Memorize the differences between plants. Make sure you know what it is. If you can't, there are always the trees. You'll always have food. Got it?"

They nod and Mason clings to me, tears running down his face. "I'm going to miss you, Aera. Try and win?"

"Of course," I choke. I'm trying not to cry as well, and it's an uphill battle. I run my hand through his mahogany hair and promise, "I'll try my hardest."

Now it's Lavender's turn. She's only twelve, but she holds knowledge beyond her years. I grip her shoulders firmly and command, "Do not take any tesserae. Do you understand me? Two of us are gone, and it's about to be three. We can't afford to lose another member, especially not to the games."

Lavender puts something in my hand and hugs me tightly. "Make them pay," she whispers. "Make yourself a true victor." A true victor? What's that supposed to mean? The way she speaks reminds me of the codes the rebels used in the Dark Days. Simple enough on the surface, but there's always a hidden meaning that's hard to decipher. All I can say is that I will. I stroke her hair like I used to when she was a baby, and my father walks up and embraces all of us. _Trying to keep what's left of the family together,_ I think.

"Aera, no matter what happens, I'm proud of you. Okay? You've been handling axes and tools all your life. You have a chance. Go into that arena and make the Capitol sorry they chose you."

"You bet I will, dad." He's right. I can climb trees, handle items that could easily become weapons, and I've been eating wild plants for years. Maybe I can win this thing after all. For the first time, I feel hope. Once my family leaves, I look at what Lavender gave me. It's a silver chain with a feather pendant made of gold, meant to be my district token. This necklace is one of my few belongings left from before the Dark Days. We either sold or traded off most of our possessions in order to feed ourselves.

The doors open again to reveal Forrest Cook, my partner from the sapling nursery we work in after school. Forrest seems like the cheeriest person in the world, always smiling. But today, his trademark grin is absent. He pats my shoulder and says, "You have an edge. You may not be trained like the Careers of Districts One, Two, and Four, but you're still fit and you have a chance." He, like the others, hopes I will make it back, despite the odds not being in my favor. Then he stammers out, "I-I'm going to miss you," and walks away all teary-eyed.

One last visitor. Rose Chamberlain, who hugged me at the reaping. She's stopped crying but her cheeks are still red and puffy. Her message is the same as everyone else's: Stay alive and come back to us. But she adds something else. She whispers in my ear, "Stay who you are. You're not some tool of the Capitol. Don't let them change you."

I nod, not fully understanding. She has the same cryptic speaking style as Lavender. "Right. I won't be swept in by their Capitol ways. I won't give in."

Rose looks oddly relieved as she says, "Good." Then she smiles fiercely and continues, "When you're over there, give them hell." As though suddenly remembering something, she gives me a small package, opening it to reveal meringue cookies, our favorites. She takes one and snaps it in half, giving one part to me. "This may be the last time we see each other, so I bought these. Don't worry Aera, I know we'll see each other on the other side. Here's to us." We toast with our cookie and too soon, time is up and she's being escorted out the door.

Not long afterward, I'm being led to a car. This will bring me to the train station, and then I'll be off to the Capitol. I clutch my final gifts tightly, as though they're my only reminders of home. Because in a few hours, they will be. I want to cry, but I know there will be cameras at the station. I will be marked as weak, and the people at home will think I've given up before I've even started.

As expected, there are loads of cameras at the station. They are trained on the car, and my rage against the Capitol flares up inside me. When I step out, I see my face on every screen in the station. My glare shows I'll put up a fight in the arena. It shows I have promise. I promise death.

I snap at the cameras, and the Capitol people reel back, terrified. I find an evil grin has planted itself on my face, and I decide to have a little fun. I'll make my persona right here. I snap at the cameras again, delighting in the paparazzi's squeals of terror. I keep this up for a few minutes before playfully taking a swing at one of the cameras. I see Angora glaring at me out of the corner of my eye and the Peacekeepers are clearing their throats, telling me to back off. I straighten up and quit playing with the Capitol idiots. But I'm still smiling and laughing wickedly while walking away.

Hunter's car pulls up, and he is expressionless. I wonder what strategy he'll use when we're all let loose. I'm sure he'll have lots of sponsors. Hunter is young, strong, and fairly handsome…_Did I really just think that? Where did _that _come from?_

I'm relieved that we're on the train and that the doors have closed behind us because now I'm confused. I've never thought of Hunter as attractive before. I chalk it up to the fact that I'm probably going to die in the following weeks. As we pull out of the station, I know that this will be the last I see of home.


	3. Transition

(A/N: Isn't it a little sad that my filler chapter is longer than my two real chapters?)

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><p>Transition<p>

Hunter and I stand next to each other at one of the windows until the forests of home are out of sight. The moment they are, our mentor, Lyra Call, comes up behind us and puts a hand on each of our shoulders but says nothing. I'm glad we have Lyra. Most of the districts have no victors, meaning no mentors. Instead those tributes deal with people of the Capitol, who give next to no advice and are so self-centered they don't care that children are being sent to their deaths. Yes, we're very lucky to have Lyra.

I think back to the first Games. All the tributes had people from the Capitol mentoring them, but not the escorts. That year, the winner was an eighteen year old from District Two. Then they started the idea of Career tributes because the victor was a former soldier. He was trained in combat and survival so he had a distinct advantage. Districts One and Four followed suit, and the strategy worked out for them as well.

District Two would have two victors if it weren't for Lyra. Her victory was narrow. The final battle was long and bloody, and the arena a small mountain range riddled with sudden drop-offs and cliffs. Lyra had an axe, and the Two tribute a sword. Though he was stronger, she was faster. He was also unobservant. Near the end, he managed to disarm her. By this time, both were covered in wounds that could very well be fatal. He didn't notice that Lyra had led him to a cliff.

When he managed to catch her throat, he didn't kill her. He just stood there laughing, waiting for her to bleed out. She was unarmed; there was nothing she could do. He didn't expect a swift kick to the chest. In the video, you can actually hear his bones crack. And he went flying over the edge and onto the sharp rocks at least a hundred feet below. Lyra collapsed, the trumpets sounded, and she goes on to live another day.

Hunter breaks the silence. "We're going to die over there, aren't we?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it," she says. "I'll do everything in my power to get another victor from Seven this year.

Lyra won her Games three years ago at 16. I remember watching her walk up to the platform. Like all tributes, she was more terrified than anything. That was my first year at the reaping at twelve. Now here I am, in the same position she was not so long ago. Before I realize what I'm asking, I voice the question that's been lurking in the back of my mind since the first Hunger Games. "What's it like to kill someone?"

The look she gives me makes me regret asking. It's loaded with guilt, sorrow, and anger. "It's like nothing you've ever experienced. Once it happens, it will stay with you. I still hear the screaming at night. You learn to cope with it, though. Some do better than others. In the short term, justifying their deaths will be the only consolation. It was either them or you, and you did what you had to."

I know what it's like to have someone die in front of you. I don't want to know what it's like knowing their death was done by your hand. But I understand. "Anything to stay alive," I deadpan.

She nods tersely and Hunter takes my hand, knowing that I'm thinking of Ruby, my mother, and everyone we lost in the Dark Days. In an effort to break the solemnity, he asks, "When are we eating? I'm starving." I can't help but smirk. Back home, people meant it when they said they were starving. Then I realize that the last time I ate was this morning, and the sun's already set.

Lyra walks to the far end of the car and slides the door open. "Follow me."

We arrive in the dining compartment, and I can't believe what I'm seeing. Trays are lined up against the walls of the car, laden with food. I've never seen so much in my life. Is this how those in the Capitol live daily?

Someone hands me a plate, and I dash over to the buffet tables, loading it. There's so much food that my dish is full before I make it to the end of the first table. I rejoin the others and dig in. This is the best stuff I've ever had. A delicious lamb stew with dried plums, buttery vegetables, paper-thin slices of roast beef, rice like little pearls, and all sorts of things I can't put a name to. I finish this plate and quickly go to refill it.

As I sit back down, I notice Angora is shooting me a disapproving glare. When she catches my eye, she says, "Honestly, Aera. Slow down, it's not like you'll never eat again. Besides, your manners are severely lacking."

'It's not like you'll never eat again"? I'm going to the _Hunger Games, _for the Capitol's sake! Chances are I'll never _breathe_ again, much less eat! I try to mask the annoyance in my voice. "Sorry, Angora. I'm trying to figure out a strategy and table manners aren't going to help me in the arena."

She softens at my 'apology'. Subtlety is never a strong point for the Capitol. "Oh it's all right, dear. I understand the stress you're under. It's not easy to make sudden changes like these. To be taken from your home and brought here…I can only imagine what it's like for you." Huh. Maybe Solari's not so bad after all. "To go from those dreary forests to the glitz and glamour of the Capitol…it must feel amazing." Well, guess I was wrong there.

After dinner, we watch the reaping recaps. First is District One's girl tribute. She's almost as thin as I am, but she's at least a head taller, making her look almost skeletal. One of the Capitol commenters makes a remark on how she seems below average for the District. Her partner on the other hand, is a different story. I don't know what it is, but he has the look of a killer about him. He's sturdily built, lean and muscular, with his face fixed into a perpetual glare.

District Two is even more intimidating. The girl is sleek and looks like she's a swift runner. She also looks like she's always up to something. The way she saunters up to the platform makes me think of a wildcat. The boy is a hulking mass of pure muscle. He dashes up to the platform with the other volunteers and manages to reach it first, earning the place of tribute.

The tributes of Three and Four don't make much of an impression, the latter being surprising since Four is a Career district. Five, Six, Seven. Hunter and I get reaped. Eight, Nine, Ten. An intelligent looking girl with deep brown eyes and olive-toned skin. Eleven, Twelve. A pair of sickly looking kids come forward, no doubt from the poorer families.

Lyra switches off the television and orders us to bed. "We're heading into the Capitol tomorrow," she says. "Have your camera faces ready." I smirk in anticipation of the cameras. I'll get to have a little more fun before the Games begin. Lyra cuts into my thoughts. "Aera, don't go terrorizing the reporters at the Capitol the way you did back home."

Hunter chuckles next to me. "I was watching that from my car. Never thought you'd go wild on them."

"You won't get sponsors if you terrify them all," Lyra scolds.

The Careers do that all the time, and they get plenty of sponsors. Apparently, Hunter has been riding the same train of thought, and just as I open my mouth to speak, he says, "One, Two, and Four scare everyone. They still get sponsors. Why would Aera be any different?"

"They intimidate the other tributes. She's scaring the Capitol people witless." Oh? I'm surprised they had any wits about them for me to scare off. Not that I'm going to say that out loud, of course. The train probably has hidden microphones everywhere and I wouldn't say it in front of Angora anyway.

I notice Hunter's suppressing a laugh and I grin in response. It's so fun being able to tell what the other is thinking. Then I remember where we're headed and my grin disappears. I decide to obey Lyra and go straight to bed.

The next morning, I wake up to the sights of the Capitol.


	4. The Capitol

(A/N: It took me far too long to type this up! Im sorry, whoever reads this fic! School started and I put this on hold for a bit. *coughwriter'sblockcough*)

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><p>The Capitol<p>

The Capitol is magnificent in its own right. The towering buildings are so high their tops are hidden in the clouds. The people on the ground below look like strange animals, clad in fur and brightly colored feathers. They stop what they're doing and point at my train rolling in. _Fresh meat. Time for the fun to start. _

Despite the extravagance of the Capitol, there's a distinct synthetic quality to it. The shades of green are like nothing I've seen in nature. Everything is unnatural, from the glowing blues to the burning oranges and yellows. I don't understand how the Capitol citizens see this as attractive.

It'll still be a few hours until we reach the train station, so we decide to have breakfast. We're each given a bowl of hot cereal, a side of fresh fruit, some rolls for us to share, a glass of orange juice, and a mug of hot chocolate. Hot chocolate. My mouth waters at the sight of it. I haven't had any of that stuff in years, and that was long before the rebellion.

Hunter, Lyra, and I take our seats. Angora is nowhere to be found. I guess she's sleeping in. Oh well, her loss. While Hunter and I stuff ourselves, Lyra says, "When we arrive, you're going to be handed over to your stylists and prep teams. What they do to you won't be pretty. Just don't fight them, okay? Be good kids like your parents taught you."

I can imagine what they'll do. Probably turn us into trees, being from District Seven and all. Trees aren't exactly threatening, but it could be worse. I could be a loaf of bread from Eleven or a dusty miner from Twelve. I nod since my mouth is full.

Lyra continues, "In addition to the presentations on the chariot, you have training sessions to help prepare for the arena. You have three days to learn combat and survival skills. It all ends with your private session with the Gamemakers. Be sure to impress them, since good scores mean more sponsors."

We finally finish breakfast. I ask, "So we hone our skills, right? That's what us to do?" Because really, there's no point in trying to learn something you're no good at. You can't learn much in three days anyway.

"Not quite," she answers. "Mask your real skills a bit. Showing off will only make you a target and put you at a disadvantage. The others will learn your strengths and learn how to counter them. Pick up some more survival skills, though. They should help you more than combat will."

Hunter decides to join in on the conversation. "Right. Survival shouldn't be too hard. I mean, we've been doing that all our lives. That part of the Games won't be too different."

Lyra chuckles darkly in response. "You'd be surprised. You've seen the arenas."

Yes, we have. And that is exactly why we are trying to gain weight before we get thrown together. The rich fare is almost too much for me to handle, but I manage to keep it down. I'm determined to last as long as possible in these awful Games. With breakfast over, we retreat to our rooms to kill some time. There's still an hour or so left before we arrive at the station because the other tributes have to be filmed first.

I lay on my bed and think of home. I remember times before the Dark Days, times of relative peace. A time when I was happy. I listen to Ruby's laugh, high and tinkling like bell chimes. I watch my mother sashay around the kitchen, humming a little tune. Feel a seven year old Lavender tugging on my sleeve, asking to see something shiny that caught her eye in passing.

That was a bad idea. The homesickness hit me like a sledgehammer. I'm clutching my chest and gasping for air before I realize what I'm doing. I want to cry now, but I can't. We'll be arriving at the station soon, and I can't let the Capitol see that I've cried. _You've said your goodbyes. Push those thoughts away and focus on the present. _Crying shows weakness. Happiness shows naiveté. Anger is a lack of control. There's really no acceptable expression, so I decide to go against Lyra's advice and scare the Capitol reporters. Maybe someone will be willing to sponsor the wild girl from Seven.

There's a knock at the door. It's angora, telling me to get ready because we'll be pulling into the station in a few minutes. I don't move. A few minutes to her is an hour in reality. When I get up, I dress in simple clothes and muss my hair so it looks matted and tangled when it can be easily brushed out. Oh yes Angora, I did just as you said. I got ready, just not to your standards. _Every little rebellion._ I smirk in anticipation of the cameras. A look out the window tells me we're about to pull into the station. Showtime.

Another knock at the door. This time, it's Hunter. "Come on, Aera. Time to face the paparazzi again." I can just imagine him rolling his eyes. I throw open the door to find that he's dressed in a light blue dress shirt and black pants. The stark contrast between us just makes us burst out laughing.

"Look at you. Just…look." He has to pause a bit to catch his breath. "Here I am all dressed up, and you look like _that._ Completely uncivilized by Capitol standards. I can just hear it now. 'Ladies and gentlemen, the savage of District Seven!' I wonder if people will think you're not entirely sane."

I pout slightly and innocently ask, "A little insane? Aren't we all?" He quickly agrees.

We make our way to the main car, and Angora gasps at the sight of me. "Aera!" she cries. "Heavens, look at you! Didn't you clean up at all when I told you we'd be arriving soon?"

"Of course I did, Angora. Just not to Capitol standards."

"Forget Capitol standards, even District Twelve would shun you! You look like a complete barbarian!" Her shrill screams echo around the car and I'm enjoying her discomfort greatly.

Lyra eyes me suspiciously. "I see you've decided to ignore me. At the very least, fix your hair. That's a little overkill with your look." I smooth it out a bit. She gives me a somewhat-approving nod. "Good enough."

The doors slide open and Angora walks out. Fifteen steps later, Lyra follows. Fifteen more, and Hunter and I exit the car. Again, I have a smirk on my face. I notice that the reporters are standing a little farther back than they were back home, when they were practically on top of us. I drop into a half crouch and growl, making everyone take a step back. I run and snap at one of the cameras, making its holder give a faint shriek. This is just too fun.

Both Angora and Lyra are shooting me disapproving scowls, and I know I have to end my little game. I straighten up and meet my mentor and escort, who are waiting in front of the car that will take us to the Remake Center. We drive off with the cameras flashing after us.


	5. Presentations

(A/N: I apologize for such long waits between relatively short updates. I hope I made up for it by making this chapter twice as long as the others!

I tried to incorporate music into this chapter. The first song will be "At The Gala (Instrumental Orchestra)" by NRGFORCE on Youtube. The second will be "Trixie: A Star No More" by Coltsuke, also from Youtube. The songs will be played in the order listed, and don't worry, not all the music used in this story will be pony related :P I'll mark the places where the songs start with stars.

Also, please review. I like feedback.)

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><p>Presentations<p>

As soon as we arrive at the Remake Center, we get ushered into the rooms where we'll be made over by our stylists. The first things I notice are the beauty products. Row upon row of multicolored bottles, cans, boxes, and packets sit on shelves that stretch along the length of the room. _They're going to be using all that?_ The Peacekeeper ushers me in and makes his exit. Not long afterwards, a trio of people walks in and introduce themselves.

The first one to speak is a woman named Deidra. She seems young, maybe early twenties. Her chin length hair is dyed purple and spikes out in frills around her face. There are tattoos of gold and green vines snaking up both arms with birds nesting among the fronds. It's actually quite pretty for Capitol fashion. She's more normal looking and reserved than her teammates, who exemplify the Capitol's outrageous definition of fashion. "Welcome to the Capitol," she says. Her accent isn't as pronounced and her voice makes me think of a singing bird. "We will be your prep team, here to make you look your best!"

The man pipes up, "Oh yes, we'll make you absolutely gorgeous!" He says his name is Esteban. His bowl cut style hair is neon blue with lime green streaks. He's certainly the oldest of the group, and it's clear that he's had cosmetic surgery to make himself look younger. His Capitol accent is so thick that I can only understand half of what he says, and I keep looking to Deidra for clarification. He guides me to a chair and makes me sit because my stylist still hasn't arrived. As he speaks, I can only catch the last sentence, which is, "Sweetheart, we are going to make you look _fabulous!_"

Last of all is Flannery, easily the wildest of the three. Her scarlet hair is streaked with tongues of orange and gold that make her head look like it's on fire. It's really quite terrifying. Her clothes match her hair, with feathers sewn into the shirt cuffs and collar. Her jewelry continues this fire motif, with gold earrings with rubies shaped like flames. Wait a second. Those aren't earrings. The jewels are embedded directly in her earlobes! The second she speaks, I immediately think of the fire alarms from school, high and piercing.

They're still chattering away at me and each other when my stylist walks in. She's tall and elegant, despite the Capitol fashion. Her sparkling blue dress flows like water behind her. The only obvious alteration I see other than a little makeup is skin dyed slightly silver. She boisterously announces, "Darling, I am Sapphire Shores, but you can just call me Sapphire. We're going to help you look your best while you're here. Count on it, honey." She looks me over and tells my prep team to send me to beauty base zero, whatever that means. After giving her command, she walks out of the room again.

I spend the next few hours getting waxed, brushed, plucked, shaved, and all sorts of things. When Sapphire walks in again, she looks me over once more and orders the team to move on as planned. It takes another hour as my team puts makeup on me and adds nail polish. Everything is done on a gray-blue palette, which is very reserved for the Capitol. I wonder what Sapphire has in store for me. Perhaps a scroll? Seven handles lumber and paper, so it's plausible.

When my team finishes, Sapphire returns holding my outfit. At least, I think it's my outfit, but it's in a black plastic bag. She reminds me, "You know your outfit has to reflect your district. Your little performances at the train stations inspired this." She pulls out several pieces of my costume and lays them out on a table. With an amused glint in her eye, she says, "Do you know what they call you around here? Seven's Savage."

I burst out laughing as Hunter's voice echoes in my mind. '_I can just see it now…the savage of District Seven!'_ "So," I chuckle, "I hope this means I'll like this."

"Oh honey, you will. This outfit is based off your token, too. Now enough talk, let's get you in it." The base clothes are simple enough. A long sleeved shirt with ruffles on the breast, a knee length skirt, and silvery knee high boots. I realize that I'm going to be a bird since the shirt has a subtle feather pattern, and my skirt is made of tiny feathers. Even my boots have peacock plumes attached to the zippers. Then she hands me a pair of gray fingerless leather gloves with ivory claws extending from the knuckles. I even get a headband with three diamond shaped feathers forming a crest.

She's right; I do love it. But this doesn't seem to tie in with District Seven's industry at all. "How does this relate to lumber and paper?"

Sapphire looks like she's been anticipating this question. "Well, lumber and paper come from trees. And what lives in trees? Birds. You're a predator, hence the gloves. Your status as tribute is going to soar."

"I see." As much as I like this outfit, something seems wrong. When I walk in front of the mirror to inspect myself, I realize what it is. I ask a little too innocently, "Sapphire, how can I fly when I don't have wings?"

She smiles and says, "Don't worry dear, I didn't forget the most important parts." She walks over to a closet and retrieves my wings and tail. They're the same shade of blue gray as the rest of my outfit. Looking at my reflection once more, I think I look more like a bird from some fairy tale than one of the raptors I see flying around at home. My tail is long and flowing like a ribbon, unlike any bird I've ever seen. I figure that this is probably how someone that has never seen a predator bird would imagine it. Typical, Capitol. Never doing your research.

"I love it Sapphire. Thank you." It's too extravagant, but probably average by Capitol standards. I also don't look like a 'savage'. The only things that hint at that are my gloves and my makeup. I still despise them all; Sapphire's the only bearable Capitol citizen I've met. I wonder what Hunter's costume will be. "Did you do the wildlife thing to Hunter too, or just me?"

"My partner and I decided to keep it consistent, so he'll have an animal themed costume as well. Now, come with me. Time to head downstairs for the show." On the elevator, she seems to remember something. "Oh, don't forget. You can flap your wings. Just press these buttons here of the palms of your gloves."

She leads me to the basement to mingle with the other tributes before we go out. As I expected, the kids from Twelve are coal miners. At least the stylist from Eleven got creative. They're dressed in tasteful outfits with headdresses woven from wheat stalks, accessories shaped like various fruits, and clothes woven from some fabric that mimics the color and texture of grass. They look like they could be some ancient gods of the harvest. As usual, the District One tributes are in some ugly bejeweled thing that is probably high fashion here. Two's are statues...chess pieces. Interesting. And Four's are fishers, complete with harpoons and nets.

"Doesn't everyone just look awful? You look amazing though." I yelp in surprise at Hunter's sudden appearance. "Sorry," he laughs. "Look at me, catching the great Aera Mikena off guard."

I can't help but grin and punch him lightly on the arm. "Oh, be quiet. I _am_ amazing. What are you even supposed to be?" I can tell he's a wild dog of some sort, but he looks like a stylized version of the real thing. Honestly, Capitol. Can't you be bothered to do some research so we look a little realistic?

"My stylist says I'm a wolf because I'm supposed to look nice, but be deadly." He raises his arms and says, "Grr, I'm a wolf. I just don't look anything like one." Our laughter draws the attention of almost every other tribute.

Sapphire approaches the two of us, looking very satisfied. "You two are going to be a hit." *The music begins and District One rolls out. She helps us onto the chariot and continues, "Do whatever you want to gain the crowd's favor. The opening ceremonies are crucial for initial sponsors." District Three exits. "Cater to the audience. Smile, wave, blow kisses, all that." District Five rolls out and is greeted by cheers. "They'll love you!"

We grab each other's hand as Six's chariot exits. We're a team, whether or not we're supposed to be. _Every little rebellion counts._ I don't even need to fake a smile right now.

Hunter looks to me and says, "You ready, 'Seven's Savage'? Time to terrify." That's right, I'm supposed to be some crazy kid that'll attack anyone on sight.

I pretend to pout and whine, "But they're all so far away. I can't do anything here." Well, it's true. If I did the routine of the stations, it'd be like watching some animal threaten you from its cage. I shrug and say, "I'll figure out what to do." The music swells and we come out from the Remake Center. I quickly put on my trademark smirk from the stations.

Immediately we are greeted by cheers and applause. All around me, I hear shouts of "District Seven!" and "Yeah, Savage!" and wordless cries of enthrallment. Sure, there are cheers for the other Districts as well, but I'm hearing a good amount for Seven. For me. I raise my arms, flap my wings, and let out some sound that's something between a snarl and a triumphant scream. The crowd goes crazy, whistling, screaming, clapping. I've got to have some sponsors by now.

I hear Hunter's quiet laughter beside me and see his expression is similar to mine. He turns to me, waves to the crowd, and says, "I can't let you have all the fun, can I?" He throws back his head and lets loose a long howl. The crowd loves it. Some even howl in return.

While some of the crowd is chanting for Seven, all I can think of is getting sponsors. When we all reach the City Circle, the music ends and the audience goes silent. President Terryn Brooks steps out and congratulates the tributes and stylists on a successful opening ceremony for the Games. He goes on to say other things, but I don't hear them. I'm glaring at him, screaming in my head, _What kind of person murders children and calls it entertainment? What kind of monster are you? _

Hunter digs a nail into my hand, and I realize I've been crushing his in my silent rage. I loosen my grip and try to pay attention to the President. Luckily, he's wrapping up. The anthem starts playing and everyone in the Circle stands. When it finishes, we ride around the Circle once more and disappear into the basement of the Training Center. Once inside, everyone gets off their chariot. Sapphire and Hunter's stylist run up and hug us, praising us for our performance. "You were amazing! The crowd loved you!" They take the outer parts of our costumes and Angora and Lyra show up to escort us to our floor.

When we reach the level meant for District Seven, we clean up, regroup for dinner, and later watch the recap of our Capitol debuts. Some of the tributes are beautiful, some are dreadful. One of the better looking teams is District Three, is glowing clothes that change color every so often. One that falls into the latter category is District Ten, which manages livestock. Their stylist turned them into steaks. Not even cows, steaks. Poor kids. They look like the District Twelve tributes, poor and starving. Unless they've got some hidden talent, they're not likely to last long. At least this tips the odds ever so slightly in our favor. Everybody's chattering away, but I'm not. I'm wondering how I'll be able to kill these people. I'm sure I could if I had to, but I don't want to. I've seen more than enough death already.

As we watch District Twelve come out of the Remake Center, a Capitol attendant walks up and hands Lyra a note. She follows him out of the room without a word. Nobody else seems to notice because she was standing behind the sofa with me. She returns just as the anthem starts playing in the Circle, and her expression is grim. She taps Hunter on the shoulder and gestures for us to follow her. This can't be good.

She leads us to the elevator and pushes a thirteenth button I didn't realize was there earlier. This brings us to the roof. On one side is a beautiful garden with wind chimes hanging from the trellises that support the climbing plants that form a canopy over the rest of the flowers. I would've gone straight there if Lyra wasn't waiting to speak with us.

Our mentor takes a deep breath and starts, "I have bad news. There's been an accident back home." Thunder rolls overhead, dark and foreboding. "One of the paper mills exploded." A deafening crack punctuates her sentence.

My father works in one of the mills. But there has to be something more. Lyra looks like she's trying not to cry. Hunter presses, "And…?"

The strangled words come out in a rush. "The fire spread to both the forest and the town. You know there's been a drought going on. It couldn't be put out fast enough. Lots of people died…our families among them." Her will breaks and tears slowly slide down her face.

"So…Lavender, Mason, my father…"

"All of them. I'm so sorry, Aera."

Hunter is staring blankly at the floor. "Did…did any of my…?"

"Your little brother made it. Your mother didn't. The rest of your family's missing. There's…there's a lot of casualties. I'll let you know when I get more information." He nods in thanks.

Then I realize Lyra said "_our_ families". Not "Hunter's and my" or "Aera's and my" or even "your" families, which means she had to have lost people too. I'm not too lost to realize that she had to have lost people too. "And you, Lyra? How's your family?"

She replies, "Both my parents. My aunt's missing." She returns to the elevator and calls back, "If you need me, I'll just be in my room." The doors close, leaving me and Hunter alone on the roof.

I walk over to the garden with him and we sit on a small platform that holds a few flowers above the rest. He wraps an arm around me in comfort, but I don't want him here. He's holding back his own tears because he's trying to be strong for me. "Just go, Hunter," I choke. "I want to be alone right now."

"All right. I'll be back, though." I don't turn around to see him off. As I hear the elevator doors close behind him, the rain starts falling. *Now that I'm alone, I let myself go and sob because no one will be able to tell the difference between the rain and my tears. Then the realization hits me. My family is gone. When I'm sent home, who will bury me? If I win, who would greet me? My family is gone. We spent our lives protecting each other, but no one could've protected them from this. Being the sole survivor offers no consolation. If I won, I wanted to see my family when I went home. Now nothing's left. I don't know how much of the town is still standing, never mind my house.

I sit there for what feels like hours until I am completely soaked and have no more tears left to shed. I'm alone. All I have left is Hunter, and that's not going to last long. _Not just Hunter, _a small voice in my head whispers.

"Yeah? Who's left?" I snap. "Talking to myself…I must be losing my mind already," I mutter.

_You still have Rose and Forrest. They're your friends, too._

"Rose and Forrest? For all I know, they could be dead!

_But they might be alive. You don't know._

I grit my teeth. "Right, I don't know. But the odds haven't been in my favor lately, have they?" The voice doesn't answer. Good. I know the Capitol isn't at fault, but I'm going to make them regret choosing me anyway. I slowly get up and walk towards the edge of the roof and look down. The people on the street below look like small colored dots; I must be hundreds of feet high right now.

My choice has been made.

I back away from the edge until I'm halfway between it and the elevator. I start marching forward when I hear the doors open and a voice calls out. "Aera?" It's Hunter.

_You will not stop me._ I break into a run for the void in front of me. Death right here, right now, is the lesser of two evils. Between this and the arena, this is going to be less painful.

"Aera, wait! Don't do it!"

I hear him running to stop me, but it's too late. I've already cleared the ledge. I'm flying over emptiness.

"_**Aera!"**_

* * *

><p>(AN: Kudos to you if you caught the references I put in this chapter.)


	6. Resilience

(A/N: It's been more than a month. This is not acceptable, me.)

* * *

><p>Resilience<p>

I'm feeling the wind rush around me when I smack into something. A strong current courses through me and I'm in the air again, flying in the opposite direction. When I return to the rooftop, I end up hitting Hunter and we both tumble to the ground. Everything hurts so much I don't even want to move. Seems fitting that the pain outside matches that within.

He already has me in his arms, and he's rocking me back and forth, whispering, "Stupid, stupid girl. Why would you do that? You'd really just leave? Honestly. What would I do without you, little sister?"

Little sister. He hasn't called me that in years. At first, the name makes me happy, but guilt quickly replaces it as I realize exactly what I was going to do. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" My voice is shaking. I have to hold myself together; falling apart will not help me. Once I calm down, I mutter, "I can't believe I forgot the force field was there."

Before the second Games started, one of the tributes jumped to his death. District Three, I believe. Ha. They're always the smart ones. He knew to get out of it on his own terms. After they cleaned him up and got a replacement, the force field was added to keep others from following his example. I envy the boy that beat the Capitol.

He huffs, "I can't believe you actually tried that. Really, what were you thinking?"

I flatly reply, "That it would be better to die now than later." He can't argue against that, and he knows it. He stands and helps me up, half leading, half dragging me to the elevator. When we enter, it's getting harder and harder to stay on my feet. By the time we reach our floor, I can barely stand. It's not just fatigue; it feels like that force field sapped all my energy. I must be doing a poor job of hiding this, because not five steps out of the elevator, Hunter simply picks me up and carries me to his room. He places me on his bed and goes to the closet to retrieve some extra blankets and a pillow. I hear myself asking, "What are you doing?" but I don't feel my lips move.

"You're sleeping here tonight," he says sharply.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to risk you trying to kill yourself a second time," he snaps.

Okay, his fears aren't unfounded, but I'm not going to attempt suicide a second time.  
>"There's no risk. I'm not going to try again," I sigh.<p>

"Damn right you're not." Huh. Hunter only curses when his emotions are all over the place, and he's one of the most level headed people I know. Guess I'm not winning this argument.

"At least let me take the floor. This is your room, after all."

"Though sometimes I wonder whether you're really a girl or not, I'd feel bad making you take the floor."

I roll my eyes at the jab at my femininity—or lack thereof. "Oh, ha ha." I pick myself up and dust myself off. "Well, since you seem to be feeling better about tonight's events, I think I can sleep in my own room."

As I slowly walk to the door, he grabs my hand and stops me. "Oh no, you don't. I know you well, and I know how well you lie. You're staying here tonight."

I reluctantly move back to the bed and huff, "Fine. You win this time."

He flashes a wry grin in triumph.

* * *

><p>"So…we've got rumors about you two already," Angora says suspiciously.<p>

I swallow a few spoonfuls of hot cereal and lazily ask, "Rumors? What rumors?"

She narrows her eyes and says, "We know that you two spent last night together."

I almost choke because my first reaction is to laugh. Figures, Capitol. Always jumping to conclusions. I look at Hunter and he refuses to meet my gaze. I know he wants me to tell the truth, but I can't bring myself to do it. I take a deep breath and steel myself. "It's not what you think."

"Oh? Then what is it? You're not exactly known for your morality here." _What do I care what you leeches think? _"You poorly mannered district children—"

"Morality, my ass," I hiss. "We _district children_ are better than you give us credit for. Just because we don't dress up in ugly outfits full of feathers and frills, doesn't mean we're inferior!"

She's completely taken aback by my outburst. Before she can say anything about how appalling my behavior is, Lyra cuts in, "Aera, you were going to explain yourself?"

Hunter interjects bitterly, "She tried to jump off the building last night. I kept her in my room so she wouldn't try again."

What? No! I can't believe he just gave me away like that! I was going to tell them a lie, keep them out of my business. Both of them are staring at us in shocked silence. I don't need their pity! "See? Not what you thought at all," I conclude. I go back to eating while the two continue to stare. I see sympathy with Lyra, and plain horror with Angora. Perhaps she doesn't know. I don't care if she doesn't; I'm not giving these people any more information than I have to. "Anyway, you don't need to worry. I'm not going to try again."

Lyra shakily answers, "I should hope not."

"No. I'm going out fighting now. When I go, I'm taking someone with me. You don't have to worry about me."

They still look uneasy. Hunter adds, "I'll keep an eye on her." This seems to please them a bit. He looks as bothered with this topic as I am.

There's still time before we have to go down to training, so I get up and leave the table. As I walk away, I call over my shoulder, "I need some fresh air." Angora gives Hunter a pointed look and he gets up to follow me.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes yet again. They're really being too protective, though I understand why. I slow down to let Hunter catch up, and we walk to the elevator in silence. When I push the button for the roof, I don't even have to look beside me to know that he's tense. "Do you have a plan this time?" he asks sarcastically.

"Nope. Just need to think." The rest of the ride is spent in silence. When the doors open, he grabs my wrist, restraining me. I wrest it free before asking, "What is your problem?"

"You!" he yells. "I know this is hard, and I know you're hurt. We all are! I know you well, but I didn't know that you were going to do something so reckless and just end it all like that. It's not like you to go out without a fight. To go out the way you tried. I thought you'd have enough sense left to want to go home alive."

"Home to what?" I scream back. The tears are starting to come back, but I can't let them fall. "I have nothing left, Hunter! My family is dead. My home is probably destroyed. At least you have your little brother!" I choke out, "At least you have something. Someone to go home to. All I have left is you." I turn away and sniffle, wiping away a stray tear. _Stop crying,_ I scream at myself. _You're going down to training in less than an hour, and the others will mark you as weak. Is this how you want to be remembered?_ I walk to the garden and sit on the platform. Maybe I'll calm down among the flowers. The wind quickly dries my tears. It's oddly calming as it pushes the wind chimes around and blows some petals off the flowers, whirling them around me. I close my eyes and think of autumn at home, with its strong winds and whirls of fiery leaves.

I sit there for quite a while, though I'm not sure for how long. I've never mastered telling time by the sun's position. Doesn't matter, Angora will come for us when it's time to go. Hunter takes a seat next to me and whispers, "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just…"

"I know," I murmur. "You don't have to say it." We look at each other and an unspoken agreement passes between us. Nothing will change. We will go into the arena as a team, looking after each other. I'll do what it takes to get him out of there alive, because I have nothing to lose. What can I go back home to? Ashes and gravestones? I don't think so.

We're not there long before I hear the elevator doors open and someone walks out. I can tell by the clicking heels that it's Angora coming to fetch us. She shoos us back to the elevator and presses the button for the basement. On the way down, she advises us to make allies. I'm not comfortable with making friends only for them to die later, but I agree to it. We must be a little early because there are still tributes missing when we arrive. Everyone is standing together, waiting for training to start. A man named Cassus runs through the list of stations, telling us where to go. If we need partners, there will be attendants on hand. With that, he releases us and someone pins a 7 on my back. I tell Hunter that we should go to the survival stations first because of what Lyra said. He nods and we go to the edible plant station. While there, I survey the others.

The boy from Two is swinging around a sword skillfully, clearly showing off. He catches my eye and winks. I roll my eyes, not caring whether he's messing with me or not. He answers with a noncommittal shrug and duels against one of the trainers. The girl from Four is throwing spears. Her partner and both from District One join her. She makes a face and throws knives at a different station. When the girl from Two meets up with her and she moves again. This time, the boy from Nine joins her, but she doesn't move. In fact, she helps him out. Ha. I don't even know this girl, and I already like her.

I return my attention to the plants, and am a little disturbed when I slip up a few times. If I was in the arena, I'd very likely be dead. After the plants, we go to the weapons stations and practice fighting with axes. I know how to use one, but not combatively. After practicing with the axes, the two of us split up to cover more ground. I survey my competition again. The girl from Four is helping the Five tributes with spear throwing. As expected, she's deadly accurate, and skewers the dummy from over fifteen yards away. Yes, I definitely want her on my side.

At noon, the instructors close their stations and release us for lunch. Hunter takes a seat next to me and murmurs, "I think I've got people to be our allies."

"Really? Who?"

"Guy from Six and girl from Ten. You want anyone?"

"Girl from Four." He chokes and looks at me incredulously. "What? Didn't you see her out there? She can't stand being around the other Careers. She kept moving every time one of them showed up. She helped the guy from Nine while practicing at one of the combat stations, and then helped the ones from Five with spears. She can fight, and doesn't want to be with the rest of the Careers. Why wouldn't you want her?"

"Okay, fine. But you try to get her on our side. Do you even remember her name?"

Crap. He's got me there. I didn't pay attention to any of the tributes' names during the reaping recaps. "Ce…Cel…Celine?"

"Celeste. Celeste Cruz."

"Alright. I'll try to get her to join after lunch. Think we could get Three to join us? They're smart, aren't they? They could set up a trap or something." He nods in agreement, and the conversation pauses when the boy from Six and the girl from Ten join us.

I raise an eyebrow, and Hunter shrugs. "I said I got us allies."

The boy from Six leans forward and shakes my hand. "Lumen Argentum," he says. He's got this odd aristocratic accent, but I don't know if that's the old stereotype or the actual accent of those from Six. Maybe it's both. He has that rich boy look about him with his cerulean eyes, honey brown hair, and fair skin. Gives me the impression that he's one of the well to-do in his District. Even his name fits with this image. Lumen Argentum translates into something like "silver light," if I'm not mistaken.

"Aera Mikena," I reply.

"Oh, I know who you are," he chuckles. "Your messing with the Capitol reporters has made you somewhat famous."

I can't help but give a small laugh in return. Nice to know my reputation's spread. Maybe it can help me get sponsors. When lunch ends, we all return to training. Hunter goes off to a sword fighting station with Lumen, and I learn to throw knives with the girl from Ten. I turn to her, realizing that I didn't speak to her at all earlier. She's been staring at me like she's been waiting for me to address her. "What's your name?" I ask. She squeaks something almost inaudible in reply. "Sorry?" She repeats it a little more loudly, but I still can't hear her. I tilt my head toward her so I can hear her better.

"My name's Azani," she says softly. Azani. Before the rebellion, I knew a girl that had the same name. She once told me it means "thistle flower". It's such a contrast between the name and the kid that stands before me. Now that I'm really looking at her, she seems so fragile and out of place here. How old is she? With the right look, she could pass for being ten. She's small, barely clearing five feet. Her dark brown eyes are wide and innocent, but intelligent. Really, she looks like a frightened rabbit.

"Azani, how old are you?"

"Thirteen."

A wave of horror washes over me, but I don't let it show. Thirteen? Her life is just beginning, and it's already being taken away from her! This child is going to die because of actions the adults took. I may be only two years older and can still be considered a child, but still. Even I know that this isn't right. The horror is quickly replaced by rage. Against the Capitol, against the adults, and against us tributes. The adults started the Dark Days. The Capitol started the Hunger Games. And here we are, being trained to murder. I will not have it. I will play on nobody's rules but my own, defying the Gamemakers and the Capitol until I draw my last breath.

* * *

><p>(AN: So how was my terrible attempt at drama? I feel that this fic is just slowly lowering in quality as I go on, haha...)


	7. Personality

Personality

I stay away from most of the combat stations the next day. I tried hand-to-hand combat, and well…let's just say that I'm safer attacking from a distance. Azani is quick on her feet, and amazing at it. She knows how to use her size to her advantage, and easily defeats the Capitol trainer.

As she steps off the mat, I greet her with slow applause and an impressed smirk. "Nice job, kid. Never thought I had it in you."

A proud smile flashes across her face in reply. "Having three older siblings to fight with all the time certainly helps," she answers meekly.

Three older siblings? "Azani, are all your siblings boys?"

She quickly nods. "Yeah. Why?"

"No reason, just wondering." If she had an older sister, I'd be wondering why she didn't volunteer and spare Azani from the reaping for another year.

A friendly voice calls out from behind me. "Hey, Savage."

I turn around to find the owner of that voice is Celeste, and reply in kind. "Hello, Celeste. What brings you here?"

"I've been checking out the competition, seeing who I want on my team."

"How convenient, I'm making a team too. Who's in yours?"

She shrugs. "No one yet, but I had my eye on you two." She gestures to Azani behind me. "Wait, who else is in your team?"

"My partner, boy from Six, and Azani here," I answer. "We were hoping that you'd join us. Will you? We also wanted more people; safety in numbers and all that. Bring in some other people you want, too. Just not One or Two. I feel like they'd kill us all in our sleep."

"That's okay, I don't like the other Careers either. I'm going to check out the rest of the field, see you around!" She gives a small wave and walks off.

I turn to Azani and ask, "Is it me, or was it a little too easy to get her on our side?"

"Too easy," she says. "Should we trust her?"

"Here's a life lesson for you, kid. Don't trust anyone."

* * *

><p>I try my hand at throwing weapons, and I'm not that bad. I find that I'm at my best when I'm angry about something. It's not hard to find something that enrages me. I mean, really. I'm here, training for the Games. I throw one axe so hard, it chops the head off my targeted dummy. Then I skewer it with a spear, and again with a knife. Few of my hits are fatal, and some miss, but I get solid sticks often enough.<p>

"_Hello,_ Savage." I know that voice. It's the guy from District Two, John Stone. "You know, you're kinda hot." He's trying to use some sort of seductive voice, and all it does is make me even more annoyed.

"What do you want?" I growl.

"I want you to join us," he answers.

"Like hell I will."

"Ooh, feisty. I like that about you. Tell you what, I'll keep my offer standing. If you ever want to come to the winner's side, I'll be waiting."

"Tell you what," I mimic, mocking him. "Take your offer and go because I have no interest in teaming up with people that train to kill," I snarl. I point the spear I my hand at him for emphasis.

"All right, let me change that." He's obviously lost patience with me since his voice is now threatening, and I've just about had it with him. "Join us or die."

"I'm going to die anyway, idiot. No." Geez, he might be the only guy I'd be willing to kill.

He grabs my spear and throws it at one of the dummies, piercing it in the heart. "See that? I'll do that and more to you and your little friends when we get our hands on you. But I'm not so kind as to give a quick death."

"Get out of my sight," I hiss.

Of course he doesn't, the stubborn bastard. He leans down and whispers, "I think I'll save you for last. I'll let you listen to the screams of your worthless district partner and that little gir—" the end of his sentence is cut off when my fist makes contact with his face.

Before I can claw him, Hunter and Lumen are at my sides, holding me back. "No! Let go of me! Let me fight him! I'm going to kill him!"

"Save it for the arena," Lumen whispers.

Hunter adds, "Calm down. We'll help you then."

I don't calm down at all. I keep trying to attack John again, and Hunter and Lumen have to drag me out of the room, kicking and screaming. As they try to force me out the door, John calls after me, "You'll be mine yet, girlie!" I answer with a reptilian roar. Azani comes out of nowhere, kicks John in the shin, and runs to catch up with us. While he hops around on one foot, I can't help but laugh as we exit. Thanks for making my day, Azani.

Once the door is shut, they release me once I regain control of myself. The two boys ask at once, "What happened?"

Azani answers for me. "That District Two boy wanted her to join them. She said no, and he threatened her. He said he'd kill us..." she draws her arms around herself and whimpers softly.

"He tried to hit on me," I add disgustedly.

"I'm staying with you from now on," Hunter declares.

"I don't need your protection," I retort.

"Right, you don't," he agrees. "I think that _he_ needs the protection." I can't help but smirk. "Besides, I don't think he'll approach you again if you're with a guy."

I mull it over a bit and nod before opening the doors and returning to the training room. Luckily, he doesn't approach me again. Later, Celeste reports back to me with good news: she got the District Three tributes on our side. Good. Maybe we can get them to make a trap for the others. The two of them are certainly smart enough to make one.

The next day, Hunter and I decide to hang around Celeste and the District Three tributes. They're not too hard to get along with, but they use a lot of terms that the rest of us don't understand, and they have to keep simplifying for us. After some time, I stop asking for definitions and go along with their choice of conversation topic. They love talking about the technology they make back home in District Three, like gaming consoles and cell phones and supercomputers. I have no idea what these things are, and I highly doubt that anyone outside of Three does.

After lunch, Hunter and I go to the fire starting station. I forgo the matches and try lighting a fire with some flint. I feel that the Gamemakers are pulling a trick on us with the matches. I wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. Somehow, the tributes from Three get a fire going almost immediately without the matches, and they rarely see the outside world. They'll definitely be useful to us. Just as I'm thinking how well this training session is going, my day is ruined.

"Hey there, sweetheart." Seriously, why won't this guy leave me alone? He saunters up to our little group and the Three kids back away quickly. They may be scared of him, but I'm more annoyed than anything.

"What do you want now?"

"I'm sure you know. The offer still stands." He reaches out to stroke my arm, and the second he makes contact, Hunter pulls me back.

"Hands off, buddy. This one's mine." I roll my eyes. 'This one's mine'? Geez, if it was anyone but Hunter…

"If you know what's good for you, you'll let go, Seven."

"I said _back off._"

Celeste steps in before it gets too heated. "Get out of here, Stone. She's with me. Do you really think that she'd join you after what you said yesterday?"

He steps away and huffs, "Fine. But you're all on my list now."

When he leaves, I ask Celeste, "His list?"

"His kill list. And don't expect him to be quick."

"We'll just have to kill him first then."

Hunter and Celeste answer simultaneously_,_ "Oh, we will."

Hunter leaves to calm himself down, and Celeste says, "He really cares about you, you know."

I wearily sigh, "Yeah, he does. We've been friends for a long time."

"So…are you two together or something? I saw that look on your face when he was called."

Dammit. I was hoping that no one would notice that. At least it seems like Celeste is the only one that did. "No, we're not." Something makes me feel suspicious. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. I just thought you would be, since you're so close." She gives me a wink. "Besides, he's kind of cute."

My eye twitches while a voice in the back of my head cackles and tells me I'm a jealous girlfriend. I tell it to shut up. "Doesn't really matter anyway. Both of us are going to die soon."

"Yeah, really sorry about that, you two have potential. Too bad only one of us can win." It's probably going to be her, since she's a Career. I hope that she'll at least give me the luxury of a quick death if we're both in the final three.

We're waiting in line for our private sessions with the Gamemakers. The first four tributes have already performed and left. Celeste's partner is called in. She follows ten minutes later. Now District Five. Six. Hunter is called.

I'm really not prepared. What have I done during the past three days? I practiced with axes, knives, and spears for weapons. There were also edible plants, fire starting, and camouflage for survival. When I look back on what I've done, I realize that I haven't done much. I'm wondering what kind of strategy I should play in there. The Gamemakers certainly love weapon proficiency, but they want to see that we can survive in the arena.

My name is called. I enter the room and look around for what I want. The Gamemakers look a little bored, and the mere sight of them drives me mad. I see a golden axe and grab it, hurling it at one of the dummies and chopping its head off. Then I take a spear and stick it from ten yards. At least my aim has gotten better. Some nod in approval. The others look at me, unsure of whether they're impressed or not. This gets on my nerves even more. I pick up a knife and walk to one of the ropes suspended from the ceiling. Clamping the blade between my teeth, I start to climb. Once I'm up about fifteen feet, I cut the rope and jump to another one next to it. I ascend and leap to another rope, severing this one behind me as well. I move around the room in this fashion, cutting the ropes and rising until I'm about sixty feet in the air and all that's left is a chain that hangs next to the rope I started from. I jump to the chain and start sliding down, throwing my knife at one of the round targets and manage a solid stick, barely missing the edge. I continue my descent and swing the chain to drop in the center of the floor, landing on my feet and stumbling slightly.

The Head Gamemaker nods at me and says, "Thank you, Miss Mikena. You may go now." I bow mockingly and exit.

* * *

><p>"So how'd you guys do?" Lyra asks at dinner.<p>

"I didn't do much. Showed I could run and make it hard for others to follow. Not even some survival skills."

"That's okay. If they paid attention, you'll get something decent. How about you, Hunter?"

He shrugs. "Did some fighting with an axe, tried some camouflage, made a net. Nothing stunning. It's weird; I'm not worried about my score at all. I wonder why."

"I wonder what we'll get. I just want something better than a three."

Angora pipes up, "Well, we won't have to wait long! The scores are going to be revealed soon!" Then she squeals like a giddy schoolgirl, and I swear my ears are bleeding.

After eating, we gather around the massive television set in the main room. It flares to life, and Augustus Flickerman appears onscreen. He goes on some spiel about how our scores will be shown tonight and that they can make or break us in the way of sponsors. No, our performance in the arena will, idiot. He finishes his speech and they start showing the scores. Districts One, Two, and Four score in the seven to ten range, just as they have for the past three years. District Three gets two fours. Five and Six are average, Lumen getting a five. I pull a seven, and Hunter gets a six. Eight and Nine score low, and Azani gets a seven. Her partner gets a nine. Impressive. He's certainly one to watch out for. The last two districts round out the pack with low scores.

I wonder how I got that seven. I showed them that I know how to run away and keep others from following, not how to fight and kill. Running isn't the kind of stuff they want to see; they want blood. I'm sure that Azani showed them that she can fight, and her skills are impressive. Agustus Flickerman reappears onscreen and shouts something at the camera about how exciting these games will be due to the amount of high scores. The audience cheers in approval. "But wait, there's more!" What are we watching, an infomercial? "Don't forget to tune in tomorrow, because we'll meet this year's tributes for the very first time! That's right, it's interview night!" Then he waves goodbye, bids the audience good night, and the program ends. Interview night. I wonder what angle I'll play. It's got to be something that these Capitol idiots will eat up...Capitol idiots. I've got it.

* * *

><p>"Aera, chin up. You have to look the part if you want to play the part." This past hour with Angora has been torture, and I still have two more to go. Angora is instructing me on presentation, Lyra on content. Angora has been observing my every move, finding "flaws" with my posture, my smile, the way I sit, the way I talk...everything.<p>

"Angora, please. Perfection isn't possible."

"No, you're just settling for less," she scolds.

"I am not! This just isn't needed."

"Yes it is. Even if you've decided to continue playing the part of the brutish ruffian."

I decide that she's not going to let me win this argument, so I don't even try. I shut up and do as she says like a good little tribute, trying to walk in ridiculously high heels, sitting properly in different length dresses, maintaining a proper posture, and a lot of little thihngs. She asks if I want to practice a bit of my interview, and I nod because I feel she would've gone and forced me to practice if I said no.

She puts onthis ridiculously cheery expression and starts, "Welcome, welcome! Now, remind the audience who you are."

I make a face. This isn't how the interviews go at all. "My name is mud," I flatly reply.

Angora huffs, "Aera, take this seriously. The interviews are no joke."

I give a halfhearted shrug in reply. "I wasn't trying to make a joke." She turns away from me to give a short cry of exasperation, and I can't help but smile. Getting on the nerves of peopleI dislie is just too fun, whether intentional or not. She catches my smile and makes me walk in those infernal heels for another half hour out of sheer spite before continuing with the mock interview.

Back straight. Big smile. Enunciate. Look into my eyes. Chin up. Smile. Wave. Again. I do this for an hour and a half. I'm going insane. When Lyra comes to get me and drops off Hunter, I breathe a silent sigh of relief. As I pass him, I whisper, "Have fun!" in a sing-song voice. I'm sure I'll have a better time with Lyra than I did angora. I'm going for arrogant and witty in my interview.

If I can't manage arrogance, I'm going to try for cunning and wild. I know I'll be able to do that because that's who I am. If the crowd doesn't like it, too bad. I'm not going to do everything they want like one of their silent house slaves. I'm no Capitol tool.

Lyra goes straight to the point. "All right, what angle are you playing?"

"Myself."

She has to think for a second. "Wild and sarcastic?" I smirk in affirmation.

* * *

><p>(AN: I should've just combined this chapter and the last like I did originally. We're finally getting close to the start of the Games. Next chapter, it shall happen! Also, should I keep going? Because it doesn't seem like a lot of people are actually reading this...)


	8. Showtime

Showtime

"Oh please, not the waxing strips again…ow! …What do you mean, you didn't get it all the first time? Don't—ow!" A muted thud of a limb hitting someone echoes through the room. I lift my arm and look under it to see who I elbowed in the face. "Sorry, Esteban." I grin sheepishly at the man rubbing his right eye. If I made a mark, I have no idea. Sometime between my presentation and now, he dyed his skin a shade of red that makes him look horribly sunburned.

"Don't worry dearie. We've gotten worse from the few that came before you. Your Lyra included. Oh, how is the dear doing? She was an absolute wreck right after her Games. She kept trying to break our arms every time we approached her with a razor or scissors. Can't imagine why." I resist the urge to scoff at his apparent blindness. Those items can easily be turned into weapons. She probably thought that they were trying to attack her. She can't really be blamed.

With my trademark sarcasm, I say, "Perhaps it was because she came from the arena, and everyone was trying to kill her."

Genuinely confused, he says, "But that's what I don't understand! The Hunger Games are only games!"

The Hunger Games are only games? _The Hunger Games are only games?_ My left arm twitches, looking for something to hit. Do they honestly believe that the Games are made up? Why would the tributes be crying when they are reaped? What do they think happens to them when their cannon fires and they're taken away? Idiots! I grit my teeth and look to the ceiling to avoid snapping some limbs. Or necks, I won't discriminate.

I object the taking of human life. The Capitol citizens aren't human any more. No human would ever think of something like the Hunger Games and support it. Only monsters. Monsters that are trying to turn me into one of them right now. I close my eyes in an attempt to calm myself and fight the ever-growing urge to smack one of the members of my prep team. I also refuse any more of their attempts to converse with me, only responding to let them apply makeup or fiddle with my hair. They eventually get the hint and leave me out of their silly little conversations about fashion and the Games and whatever else these creatures are fascinated by.

Flannery took a razor to my hair about an hour ago and started hacking off bits and pieces at seemingly random lengths, yet there appears to be a method for her madness. My hair is wild, but still attractive. Deidra just finished gluing claws on my nails. The three of them have been painting intricate designs on my upper body in various colors, kind of like Deidra's tattoos. I wonder what Sapphire has in store for me.

Just as my patience has run dangerously thin, Sapphire comes in with my outfit. I can only wonder what it will be this time. Maybe another bird? Probably not. The interview outfits don't have to reflect the Districts in any way. I know my outfit will help my angle, but I still have no idea what it will be. "Ready to see your outfit, Savage?"

* * *

><p>All the tributes have gathered underneath the stage where the interviews will be held in a few minutes. We're all standing according to alliance. There's us, the Careers, and the rest of the tributes, who wander around aimlessly. I find Hunter and we join Celeste, Lumen, the two from Three, and Azani. Lumen sees me first. "Well, well, well," he says amiably. "It appears we are in the presence of royalty."<p>

The rest turn around and break into toothy grins. Celeste jokingly gives a small bow and says, "Queen of the forest."

I am. My hand goes up to touch the small diamond tiara resting on my head. It's so light, I keep forgetting that it's there. Azani just points to my feet. My shoes are practically invisible, so it looks like I'm barefoot. Actually, these shoes are something that Sapphire called platforms, with thick soles that make me look like I'm hovering, walking on the air like some otherworldly being. I take one off and it turns gold before I put it back on, rendering it invisible once again. Her voice is full of awe as she says, "You look so pretty!" I can't help but laugh softly and pat her on the head.

My good mood is ruined when I feel someone smack my rear. I whip around to find none other than John. I'm about to rake my claws across his face when Hunter, Lumen, and Celeste step forward, surrounding me and forming a wall between the two of us. Azani stays by my side and clings to my arm, effectively disabling it.

I spit at John, "For Capitol's sake, what the hell do you think you're doing? Go back to your little playmates before I make your face even uglier."

He just laughs arrogantly. "What can you do to me, kid?"

Now it's my turn. I give a low chuckle before stepping through the wall of bodies. "Judging by the look on your face, it looks like I can do a lot of things to you, oh great Capitol lapdog."

That wipes the smirk off his face and moves it to mine. "You're just asking for a slow death, chickie."

"The death will be yours, not mine." I can hear a low growl building in his throat, and feel an insane laugh bubbling up in mine. But before either of us can escalate this little spat, the music that means the interviews are starting begins. We return to our designated spots and walk up the stairs, single file.

* * *

><p>"Gooooooood evening, Panem! Are you ready to meet our tributes?" The crowd cheers in response. "I can't hear you!" They go crazy. With typical showman's exuberance, he plays the crowd. While I ignore his monologue, I scan the stage to get a feel for my opponents. Only a few warrant more than a glance.<p>

The girl from One is incredibly odd. Her dress is plain, but _she's_ sparkling in the spotlights. I can't help but wonder if her stylist is an absolute idiot. Celeste looks fabulous in a golden mermaid-style dress with her dark hair done up in curls. Azani sports a dress with a white fur collar, puffy sleeves, and gloves. She looks incredibly uncomfortable, fidgeting around in her seat. The girl from Twelve is in a simple long-sleeved black dress with gold and red glitter on the hem and cuffs, creating flames and embers. Since everyone's wearing dresses and suits, it's harder to stand out. We take center stage tonight, not our clothes.

Flickerman calls up the girl from District One for her interview. As they go on, I try to ignore them. If I actually pay attention, I might not be able to kill them later on. They'll be people, not targets. I at least try to pay attention to the questions, since they might help me with my interview. The buzzer rings, signaling the end of the girl's interview. I bury my face in my hands (and try not to smear my makeup) as I realize that this is going to take a while.

Ten tributes and a ridiculous amount of commercial breaks later, they have just gotten to District Six. I realized that the questions are almost the same for everyone about seven tributes ago. The first part is pretty much the same for everybody. First is a question on our thoughts about the Capitol, and what impresses us most. Our opinions on our opening ceremony costumes follow. Then a question on the training period and to finish the interview, we each get a more personal question.

"Let's welcome our little lady from District Seven, Aera Mikena!"

There's my cue. I get up and glide to Flickerman as people gasp in awe and cheer. Even Augustus himself seems a little enraptured by me. When I reach him, I roll my eyes dramatically and say, "Well, it's about time, Flickerman. I was just _dying _to get my interview done."

"Excited, are we?"

I wave my hand dismissively. "Not really. It's hot in the spotlight." A low chuckle runs through the crowd. I wasn't even making a joke; it really is hot on that stage.

Augustus has the crew cool down the place and starts, "Well, Aera, what about the Capitol has impressed you so far?"

I clap my hands together and chirp, "Well, I can't decide. There's the people with such incredible…_fashion,_ and there are the upcoming Games. You know, we tributes are simply _dying_ to win." I hear some of my fellow tributes laugh with the audience, and I flash them a snarky grin in response.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do well. I mean, with your entrance at the opening ceremonies, I loved you! If I could bet, I would've considered you. What did you think of your costume? What about the premier itself?"

"I loved my costume. My only complaint is that my wings wouldn't actually let me fly." _Because then I would've gone home and lived. _"I wasn't too impressed with the show, though." Everyone in the audience lets out some confused sound. "Why, because I expected it to be more extravagant, of course! After all," I turn to address the audience, "We're here for _you!_" They cheer and whoop in reply. Good thing none of them started spouting crap about how great the Capitol is and that we deserve to be here. Actually, that last quip seems to have gone over their heads completely. But I know that President Brooks and the Gamemakers know exactly what I mean.

"Oh my dear, you're absolutely right! That entrance party was far too bland by Capitol standards." The audience agrees with him. _You just want to rub the Districts' failure in their faces, just say it! _He continues, "Your debut costume was amazing, and this outfit raises the bar for Capitol style! If you win, your dress will be the must-have item of the year." My dress is a snake that wraps around my body, forming an almost two-piece outfit that covers the top half of my torso, wraps once around my body, and ends in an asymmetrical skirt that ends on my calf on one side and just above my knee on the other. I just smile and nod in reply.

"Now, on to your training score. The seven from Seven." He chuckles at his little joke before restarting, "Care to share what you did with us?"

_Of course I don't, stupid. _"That's my little secret," I purr. "Can't have anyone know too much about me, can I?"

"All right, good enough. I was watching you in there, and you certainly deserved such a good score. Now, back to the opening ceremonies. Not long after, you received a piece of distressing news. What was it?"

No. _No._ He cannot be asking about this, of all things! Dammit Capitol, is nothing sacred?" I drop my mask and reluctantly reply, "I lost what was left of my family."

The audience gasps, and some let out anguished cries. Why should they? They aren't the ones that lost everything. They aren't the ones that are forced to watch their children die. Augustus immediately looks sorry that he even brought up the subject and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Aera." Luckily, he doesn't press the issue. "Any parting words for those watching at home?"

I turn to the camera closest to me, eyes hard and determined. "Don't count me out because of my loss. I have nothing left to live for, nothing left to lose, and that means I will do anything to win. You'll see when we're in the arena. I'll give you the best show you've ever seen." My buzzer sounds and my interview is finally over. Well, I completely botched that one, didn't I? Ah, no matter.

Hunter is walking up as I go back to my seat, and I give him a reassuring smile and a nod, and he does the same. Augustus has an expectant look on his face, and Hunter stage-whispers, "Oh so scandalous." The crowd bursts into a fit of laughter. Man, these people are amused way too easily. I don't pay attention to his interview until I hear my name. Augustus is asking him about me.

"That girl's special. Are you two in a relationship?"

Hunter waves him off dismissively. "Nah. Never thought about it. I just want to stay friends. Can't really do that if we get into a relationship and break up later."

Immediately, the camera pans to me. I dramatically clap my hand over my heart and swoon, "Oh my bleeding heart! He only wants to be friends!" I can't keep a straight face and double over laughing with Hunter as everyone gives us odd stares. I'm still giggling a bit when the girl from District Eight is called and Hunter returns to his place beside me. "Good job," I say. "If you said that you had a secret crush on me or something, I would've rejected you."

He mimics, "Oh my bleeding heart! She only wants to be friends!" It's all we can do to keep pretending we're paying attention to the interview. Now that I've gone, the rest of the interviews pass by fairly quickly. I'm not surprised by most of the angles my opponents are playing. Some go for pitiful—Azani beats them all by flaunting the fact that she's the youngest—some go for desirable, one goes for mysterious, and most of the Careers make themselves out to be extraordinary fighters that promise a good show. No one seems to stand out, though.

"…and that concludes our interview for the night! Don't forget to tune in tomorrow, when the 5th annual Hunger Games begin!" Augustus' farewell brings me back to reality and I stand with the rest of the tributes for the anthem. After it ends, we all march to the Training Center lobby in the same manner we came in. Hunter and I get into an elevator with the Five and Twelve tributes. We exchange pleasantries, but make no real effort to connect. Too late to bring them into the alliance anyway.

Angora and Lyra show up not long after we step onto our floor. They congratulate us on our success before ordering us to change for dinner. Good, I didn't like that dress much anyway. At dinner, I stuff myself in a last-ditch effort to gain a little more weight before going into the arena. After eating, I head straight to my room to try and sleep. Sleep is elusive tonight. I lay awake for hours, trying to calm my racing mind. For some reason, I'm not thinking about all the tricks and traps that might be in the arena. All I can think about is if my life really will flash before my eyes before I die. I reassure myself with the fact that I have allies and sleep finally claims me.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, wake up! Today's the day! The Games start!"<p>

Oh Capitol no. _Mom, dad, please don't let me die today. I want to live a little longer._ I've already accepted that I'm not going to win, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it isn't a Career. Rolling out of bed, I join the others for breakfast.

Today, Lyra is all business. "All right, you two. When that gong rings, grab the closest thing and run. If there's a section of forest or a river, head there."

At this point, I realize that we rarely talked about strategy during training. How are we going to get the message to them? "What about our allies? How will we let them know?"

"Give them a signal with your head or something. Just don't say anything out loud. If you can't see them, find them after the first fight is over."

"After it's over? But they could be dead by then."

"If you run into the middle of the battle looking for them, you could be dead by then. My job is to keep you two alive, not the other district kids."

When the plates are cleared away, we are whisked off to meet with our stylists for our arena outfits. Though the odds have not been in my favor, I'm still hoping for an environment that will give me an advantage. One short hovercraft ride and a painful tracker injection later, I'm under the new arena. Sapphire hands me the clothes that I will be wearing for the rest of my life. They don't tell me much about what I'm going into. I've got a dappled green top and jacket, brown pants, and good flexible boots. There might be a forest, and that's all I need to know.

She pushes a button and makes a table of food rise up from the floor. Then she wishes me luck and leaves. I guess that's all she needed to do. I anxiously pace around the room in my new clothes when my gaze alights on some crackers sitting on one of the plates. Time to break the rules. I take some and slip them into my pockets, taking care to make sure they still look empty. Then I take two of the knives and slide them into my boots, making sure my pants cover the handles. After a few steps to make sure everything is concealed, the announcement to prepare for launch comes over the loudspeaker.

I step onto the plate and a glass cylinder drops down, trapping me in. It rises, bringing me up into the arena. One look, and it takes everything I have to keep from bolting off my plate.

I'm standing in a field of bones.

* * *

><p>(AN: Oh hey, it didn't take me so long to update this time. Consider this my gift to you, readers. Hope your holidays are happy!)


	9. Let the Games Begin

Let the Games Begin

The bones are clearly human. They carpet the ground for about 30 yards in each direction, surrounding the Cornucopia. _Focus! _I look around, searching for my allies and an escape. Luckily, Celeste is right next to me. I throw a look towards the forest behind us, and she nods in understanding. Azani is five plates to my right and staring at me. I give her the same signal, and she gets it too. I can't see Hunter, Lumen, or the two from Three; I hope they know where we're going.

The gong rings, and we all dash towards the Cornucopia. I grab the object closest to me-I'll check what it is later-and run for the better stuff. I manage to get some food, knives, and an empty bag to carry them before I come across an opponent. It's the boy from District Eleven. I simply shove him aside and reach for a first aid kit when Azani darts by and swipes it.

Everyone's fighting, trying to take all the good supplies for themselves. However, no one's died yet. Seems we're still reluctant to kill, even the Careers. The sounds of battle fill the air as I weave my way between tributes, attempting to go unnoticed. It's difficult; the layers of bone are constantly shifting, keeping anyone with their feet not on the ground underneath-including me-slightly off balance and in constant danger of falling into the middle of a fight.

I'm halfway between the Cornucopia and the edge of the group when I hear the sound we've all been dreading, the sound we've all been waiting for: the death cry of a tribute. We all stop and watch the body fall. Then all hell breaks loose. The bloodbath has begun. The first death has thrown everyone into a frenzy, fighting to stay alive a little longer.

I'm almost at the edge of the battlefield when someone tackles me from the side and pins me to the ground. I curse the fact that I can't reach the knives hidden in my boots and look up to find the boy from District Five is my attacker. He looks almost apologetic as he tries to bring a knife down into my chest. I manage to catch his wrist and deflect the blow, taking it in my arm instead, but he tries again. I knock his knife away and kick him off me when somebody's sword runs him through. He looks down in shock before returning his gaze to me. As I turn away to run, I see him mouth "Sorry" before sliding off, dead.

The guy from Eleven decides to challenge me again, even though he's unarmed and outmatched. I watched him during training; he couldn't handle a weapon for his life, or even light a decent fire. I quickly dispatch him with a knife to the throat and another to the chest. I waste no time in leaving, taking off into the forest, not stopping until the Cornucopia and the remaining tributes are far behind me, out of sight.

I curse as I realize that I'm alone. I have no idea if any of my allies have seen each other, or if they've even survived. I really wish I had that first aid kit now, because I'm still bleeding and have nothing to cover my wound. I'm glad the arena isn't (as far as I know) Hell on Earth, with fire and brimstone. Then I realize…I actually killed someone. I did it without a second thought, just slashing his throat and running. Shoving the thoughts away, I take to a tree and hide, waiting to see if anyone comes by. After a few minutes, someone does. It's Azani and Celeste, apparently searching for the rest of the team. I jump out of my tree, unintentionally startling them. Azani immediately throws her knife at me, and it flies wide by a few feet. Celeste is about to skewer me with her spear when I scream, "Wait! It's just me!"

Celeste lowers her weapon and scolds, "Dammit Aera, don't do that! Do you have any idea how close I just came to killing you?" I cover my mouth as a smile creeps onto my lips and a small laugh escapes. She looks at me incredulously. "How can you laugh? I almost killed you!"

"I…I'm sorry. It's just…you sound like a mom that just found her lost kid." I shake my head and sigh as the amusement fades. "Wow. I'm really out of touch with reality, aren't I? I should be all doom and gloom right now."

Azani finds her knife in the thick undergrowth and the three of us go on our way. We keep silent as we walk, scanning the area for anything that could be suspicious. With every rustle of a leaf or snap of a twig, we tense up, expecting an enemy to appear. Luckily, no one ever materializes. Then we freeze with the first cannon boom. We stand and count shot after shot, ending at seven.

Seven of us are dead on the first day alone. Have we gone completely mad? How can we murder each other so easily? The first day hasn't even ended, and seven children are already dead. I try not to think about how three of those could be my teammates…and how I'm responsible for one of those deaths. Lyra's voice echoes, "_Justifying their deaths will be the only consolation. It was either them or you, and you did what you had to."_ But…did I have to? I look at my now shaking hands and wince. They're still covered in his blood. I didn't even know his name. _Focus, Aera. Now is not the time for guilt._

We wander the forest for hours, gathering food along the way. At dusk, we stop to eat and sort our supplies. I pull the now-broken crackers from my pockets and split them with my partners. Azani asks, "Where did you get these? I didn't see them around the Cornucopia."

I can't help but give a cocky smirk. "Snuck 'em in from that meal we got right before coming up here. Wish I could've gotten more, but it would've been obvious that I had something."

"But…isn't that against the rules?"

I give her a wink and shrug nonchalantly. "Yeah. But I didn't wanna hang around any longer than I had to." I look down at the stab wound on my arm to get my point across.

We take this time to sort out our haul. I look at what I first picked up right after the gong rang and grin to find it's a coil of good rope. All in all, I have a backpack, rope, six knives (including the two I snuck in), and two packs of dried beef and fruit. Azani has the first aid kit, an empty water bottle, a heat reflecting blanket, and a small coil of wire. Celeste has a spare jacket and at least one of almost every weapon. How I didn't notice that before, I have no idea.

Azani reaches for one of Celeste's knives, and I give her one of my own. I've got enough to spare. Celeste notices that I've got my eye on the axe she's holding and gives it to me. "I got this one for you," she says. "I prefer spears and swords myself." I can't help but notice the dried blood on the spear strapped to her back. Who did she kill?

"How did you get all these, anyway? All the good weapons were at the Cornucopia, and the Careers were there."

She looks at me like I've missed the obvious. "_I'm _a Career." I groan inwardly as I realize it _was_ obvious. "It's not like it was hard," she continues. "Some of them just handed me the things because they didn't realize I wasn't with them. Idiots." She smirks at the memory and gathers her weapons. "If we see the rest of the group later, I'll let them have these." We pack up and move on.

We walk until night falls and make camp in a small area of dense brush. I hope this keeps us hidden. All of us look up when the anthem plays and the seal appears. The first face to show is the girl from Three. Then the boy from Five, and one face after another flashes in the sky. The girl from Six, the boy from Nine, both from Eleven, and the girl from Twelve. I sigh in relief knowing that Hunter, Lumen, and the boy from Three have survived. Now all that's left is to find them. As I lean against a tree for first watch, remorse and relief battle for control of my mind as I look at the moon.

_I'll find you if I have to tear down the sky._

* * *

><p>(AN: I didn't really like this chapter that much. Feels like it's missing something. I don't think I captured the desperation of that first day. I was also toying around with the idea of including Hunter's POV of the first day, but decided against it in the end and just assimilated some of his half into the chapter.

Heh, we should make a game. Find how many references I've thrown into the chapters. I believe they start in Chapter Three, and no intentional references are in this one.)


	10. Flight

(A/N: I'm trying to make these chapters longer, I really am! I keep feeling like I'm missing something when I write [Talent. HA.] because I'm rarely satisfied with these chapters. It's hard for me to keep the reader's interest. And PLEASE, review. Knowing people actually read this keeps me motivated. I'm open to suggestions as to what else will happen between here and the end, so if you have any, feel free to send me a PM. I will also combine some of the earlier chapters at some point, so if my chapter count goes down, that's why.)

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><p>Flight<p>

The chirping of birds wakes me, but a discordant squawking and a distant scream that suddenly falls silent with the boom of a cannon makes me bolt upright, ready to run. Azani snaps her gaze to me, knowing I heard it too. "Do you know…?" She shakes her head before attempting to climb a tree. "What are you doing?"

She points at a bird's nest above us. "Getting breakfast." She makes her way up slowly, not used to being off the ground. I could do it faster, but the branches are too thin to hold my weight. Best to let her rob the nest. "Incoming!" I look up to see one of the eggs falling towards my face. As soon as I catch that one, another falls from the tree and I have to dive for it. Azani returns with one more and a huge grin on her face. "Mission accomplished!"

"Hey, where's Celeste?"

"She went to see if she could find us some water. Wait, do you think that…?"

"No. It couldn't have been her earlier." _Come on Celeste, don't make me a liar._ "She couldn't have gone that far. It had to have been some other tribute. She's too smart to be killed that easily." I'm starting to ramble, trying to banish the thought. I don't want to lose another ally so soon.

"But Aera!"

I angrily shout, "It wasn't her, Azani!" and ram my fist into a nearby tree, cracking the bark with a sharp snap in my worried frustration.

She recoils as though I hit her, and curls into a ball, rocking herself back and forth with a faraway look in her eyes. "Ari, where are you?" Ari? Who's Ari?

"Azani, what are you talking about? Who is Ari?"

She goes on, unaware of me. "Ari, where are you? I need you!" Is she having a flashback? _You have to bring her back._

I grab her shoulders and give her a small shake. "Azani, focus!"

She looks at me, relieved. "Ari! Hurry, I think mom's in trouble!" She gets up and tugs on my hand, but I'm not going anywhere. "Come on! Why aren't you following?" She's starting to cry now, lost in her memory.

I don't want to do this. "Sorry, Azani…" I slap her swiftly, the sound splitting the uncomfortable silence around us.

She shakes her head and the clouded look in her eyes fades. "Aera? What happened?" I don't say anything as I pull her into a tight hug, and now she knows something's wrong. When I let go, she asks again, "Aera?"

"Who's Ari?" Should I really be asking this? It's none of my business.

She looks at the ground and says, "My…my big sister, Arianna."

"Sister? You never told me you had a sister."

"I don't. Not anymore…" She whimpers and draws her arms around herself. "The Peacekeepers…they made me watch them shoot her. When I ran away, they said they'd come for me next. My brothers hid me, taught me to fight, kept me safe. But now…"

I can't stop myself from hugging her again. She's so young and she's already gone through more than anyone should in their entire lifetime. Being forced to watch your loved ones die? Not even the Peacekeepers in Seven did that. I realize with a sickening twist that this is exactly what the Capitol is doing. If Lavender and Mason were alive, they'd be watching their big sister fight to the death. But my allies are all I have left.

"I'll protect you," I whisper. "For as long as I possibly can, I'll take care of you. You don't have to be so afraid anymore, okay?"

"Thank you, Aera." I wipe away her tears and smile. Heh. I'm sure that if Hunter saw this, he'd call me a mother.

"Ha, you're such a mom." I whip around to find Celeste standing behind us with a triumphant expression and a full water bottle, along with a nice fat bird. She holds it up and asks, "Either of you know what this thing is? Is it edible? Well, everything is edible, but you know what I mean."

Azani's face lights up. "A turkey! It looks like the ones we raise back in District Ten, but that one's a lot smaller.

Celeste holds it out to her. "So you know how to clean this thing?" Azani nods in affirmation. "Then let's eat." She hands the bird over and I give her one of my knives to skin it. She gets the job done quickly and Celeste lights a fire to cook it. We eat the eggs Azani stole earlier and wait for the turkey to cook. When it finally finishes cooking, we kick dirt over the embers and leave, each eating a piece of the bird. We'll save the rest for the boys if we see them later.

We wander into a stretch of dead forest, where all the trees and shrubs are bare, and no animals are to be seen. An unnerving chill hangs in the air, putting the three of us on edge. A few birds fly overhead, joining a flock of about ten. There's something about them, but I can't figure out what it is. I can't even see them clearly from this distance, but the mere sight of them twists my stomach. "Please tell me I'm not the only one getting that feeling from those birds."

Celeste answers, "Nope. Let's get outta here," and changes course. When we get close to the birds, the entire flock rises and dives for us, squawking and screeching in an infernal fury. And that's when I figure out exactly what they are.

Mutts.

"Run!" I don't know who screamed the command—hell, it might've even been me—but we all follow without hesitation. We turn tail and take off, quite literally running for our lives. The birds follow, surprisingly fast for their appearance. Their bodies are covered in a metallic armor and their beaks end cruel points, aimed at us. Their talons are no different. They're covered in blood, probably from the tribute we heard earlier.

We make it back to the regular forest with the birds still following. "Aera! We can't keep running! We have to fight them!" Celeste already has her spear out, bracing herself for the oncoming onslaught.

"Azani! Get under cover and wait for us!" Wait, why am I trying to save her? If I let her stay and the mutts kill her, then that's less competition, right? _Focus, Aera. You're not a monster. You're not Capitol._ She hesitates, unsure of whether she'll be a liability or not. "What are you waiting for?" The birds have caught up. "Get out of here! I'll come find you later, just take this and go!" She catches my backpack and disappears into the brush.

I take out my axe and swing at one of the creatures, wounding it. It slashes at my wounded arm with one of its wings adding plenty of small cuts. Damn birds. Their feathers are like razorblades. I take another swing at the metal bird and sever one of the wings as Celeste spears it. She's already killed three of them, but they look like they're calling reinforcements because there are definitely more than ten birds here, including the dead ones.

"Aera! Aim for the green and gold ones!" Right. The gold and green ones are calling more birds from Capitol knows where. I ignore silver and red avians, targeting their leaders. Working together, we bring down two of the five summoners without much trouble. I manage to pin a third to the ground, but before I can behead it, the damn mutt lashes out and rips open the back of my right knee with its talons. As I fall, I manage to land my axe on its neck, killing it anyway.

I'm not an exceptional fighter, and am starting to regret sending Azani away. I'm getting tired, making my swings sloppy. Celeste is slowing down too, the metal mutts scoring more and more hits on her. There's blood spattered all over her, but I can't tell if it's hers or the mutts'. We're down to the last five, but even then, it's too much. I don't think I'm going to make it to the end of the day.

I scream as I slide a knife from my boots and throw it at one of the wounded mutts. I don't care who hears me, I just want someone to appear and give the birds a new target. I take the knife from my other boot and fling it at the same bird, finally killing it as Celeste slays another. Three left now. The two of us are exhausted, and I can't even stand anymore. In a last-ditch effort, I call out, "Hunter, where are you? I know you're not dead yet!" _Stupid, he's probably nowhere near here. _

"We're right here." I whip my head around to see the boys appear.

"About time. A little help would be nice, you know." Celeste is struggling to keep the remaining birds at bay as they attack her relentlessly. She snarls at one of the birds, "Eat this!" and promptly shoves her spear down its throat.

Two left. Hunter and Lumen rush in to help Celeste finish the last mutts while the boy from Three helps me stand. I'm starting to get dizzy—I'm not dying, am I? I can't die yet! The three of them return, having just killed the last one. I pant, "Azani. We have to find her. I told her to run. Please, we have to find her."

Hunter checks my wounds and murmurs, "Don't worry, we'll find her." The cuts on my arm have already clotted, but the one behind my knee is still oozing. I wish I had my pack right now; we could really use that first aid kit. Again. I unwrap the bandage on my arm and transfer it to my leg. Probably not the best thing to do, but we have to make do with what we have. I curse the birds again before taking a few shaky steps toward our old camp.

Celeste puts a hand on my shoulder. "Hey now, where do you think you're going?"

"I want to go back. I feel like that's where she'd go."

"Do you realize how far that is? We were walking for hours before we were attacked."

"We weren't walking in a straight line."

"So? You won't make it a mile with that leg, sunshine."

Annoyed, I snap, "She has our supplies, Celeste. I don't think _not_ finding her is an option." Remembering my knives, I move back to the birds' bodies to find them. After realizing it's useless to kick the corpses around because I can no longer put my full weight on my right leg, I resort to nudging them around with my axe. "Stupid mutts," I mutter. "Why were they even here?"

These Games are the first to feature the infamous Capitol muttations. Just my luck. The things I fear most, only second to death itself, get introduced during _my _Games. Great. Just great. What are they sending after us next, tracker jackers? At least if we come across those, we can smoke them out and burn the nests. But the birds we just fought are new breeds. What else will they throw at us?

I finally find my blades In the mess of bodies and stumble over one of the wings I severed in the battle. I pick it up and swing it like a sword, and it makes a sound like hundreds of wind chimes as the feathers rattle in the air. This would actually make a good weapon (and make me live up to my name of 'Savage'), but it would eventually rot, and it's noisy. I settle for plucking the primary feathers, which have surprising weight, and stow them away for later use as knives.

I say we can go and the five of us clear out, with Celeste at point and Lumen bringing up the rear. We wander the woods for a long time, searching for Azani and finding nothing. At one point we come across what we called a manticore during the Dark Days. A manticore is a grotesque fusion of a lion with a bat's wings and a scorpion's tail. Though basic compared to most mutts, manticores are killing machines. Luckily, this one is asleep when we come across it. Celeste and the boys quickly destroy it before we continue our search.

Another cannon booms and I have to fight the rising feeling of dread. _It wasn't her, it wasn't her, it wasn't her. _Azani had all our supplies. If she just died, then we have nothing. If we have nothing, the alliance will split. If the alliance splits, we're all doomed. I'm going to die, Hunter will follow, a Career will be the winner…

"Aera." Hunter's voice snaps me back to reality. "Come on, we have to keep moving." I limp beside him as we find ourselves facing a river. While the others bend down to take a drink, I move downstream a bit to clean my wounds. When I finish and bend to take a drink, something white catches my eye and I can't help but give a small yelp as I fall backwards in surprise. There's a skeleton on the river bed, a gruesome reminder of our impending deaths.

Ugh. I'm never this open. My reputation at home is that I'm a cold, emotionally detached person that shows little, if any emotion to anyone, save for a select few. I'm not like this under normal circumstances. Then again, nothing is normal in the Games. We're all going crazy.

Before the others can even stand, I just point to the bones in the river, and they have pretty much the same reaction. At least I'm not alone. There's a rustling in the bushes to my right and I draw my axe and get up, forcing myself to look in better condition than I am. What appears is neither natural animal nor mutt.

It's the girl from District Eight. She's injured so badly that I know she won't be around much longer. She drags herself to me and rasps, "The C-Careers. Found me and my partner. Killed him. They're…they're looking for others, but they're wounded. Don't let them win…" She collapses and her cannon fires and there's no reason for me to do anything other than close her eyes. Celeste checks her body for supplies and we move on to let the hovercraft collect the girl's body.

"All she had was a water bottle. Better than nothing," Celeste says. No, she had more than that. Now we know that Azani's still alive and that the Careers are hunting, but hurt. The sun's starting to set, so we make camp for the night. I climb partway up a tree to see the faces of the dead. Today it's the boy from One and both from Eight.

I come down to see that Celeste and Lumen have made beds of leaves for us, and Hunter is scavenging for food nearby. I look around and see nothing that needs to be done. "Thanks for making me feel useless, guys."

Celeste practically sings back, "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of work for you in the morning."

"Oh joy, I can't wait. And I call first watch."

"Yeah, your cannon will let us know if we're under attack."

"Even _I _found that in bad taste, and I love dark humor."

"You only say that because it's about you."

"I'm still taking first watch."


	11. Trust

(A/N: I'm adding music again. The song played here will be "Blinded By Light" from FFXIII. Start the song at the star.)

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><p>Trust<p>

As the morning wears on, I bite back the nagging feeling I've been getting about Celeste. Sure, she's on our side, but she's still a Career. She could easily kill us all in our sleep and disappear, but she hasn't. She hasn't done anything suspicious, but I still don't trust her. I haven't trusted anyone in years, why start again now? It's going to get me killed for sure.

We wander for hours and get nowhere. I don't want to find the Career base camp and possibly have to fight them. I'm still walking with a noticeable limp because of that mutt yesterday. My injury has slowed us down far too much for my liking, and even though none of my teammates will say anything, I'm sure they feel the same. I lean against a tree and sigh softly to Hunter, "I'm dead weight. You should just leave me now."

He shoots me a look that says, '_Not happening. Forget about it.'_

"You all have a better chance of survival without me, and you know it."

His disapproving glare is the equivalent of him screaming "no".

I growl softly in exasperation and say, "Only one of us can win, Hunter. Not a team. It would be best if I got out early."

Finally choosing to speak, he heavily sighs, "You know I'll never leave you. I promised Lavender and Mason that I'd get you home."

I can't hold his gaze anymore. I look at the ground and softly hiss, "Your promise no longer applies. I don't have anything left, remember?"

"I know. But I promised them. And you promised a good show to the audience."

"That's right, I did." All this talk about promises brings my unspoken vow to the front of my mind. I said I was going to bring Hunter home. His brother needs him. Was that really only five days ago? It feels like it's been ages; I almost forgot about it. But I haven't forgotten that I always fulfill my promises. "Fine. I'll stay."

He grins and says, "I wouldn't have it any other way," and helps me catch up with the others.

* * *

><p>I don't know where we're going, but it looks like Celeste has a set destination today. She's been heading toward the Cornucopia, occasionally pausing and checking our surroundings.<p>

Lumen asks, "Celeste, where are we going?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," she replies. "I want to set a trap for my little friends." With a smug smirk, she adds, "I found their base camp while scouting."

While scouting? When did she do that? During her watch last night? She may as well have killed us! My grip tightens around the handle of the axe at my back. Now I'm sure I'll never be able to sleep around her again as long as she's with us. "And just how will we set this trap?"

She jabs her thumb at the boy from District Three. "Sparky here is going to reactivate the mines and bury them under their camp."

I whip around to face him. "Are you sure you can do that? I mean, can you do that without blowing us to kingdom come?"

He confidently replies, "Yes." When I stride up to him and stare him down, he shrinks back slightly and says less confidently, "Pretty sure." With my continued glare, he scampers back a few steps and attempts to hide behind Celeste. I roll my eyes and wave him off.

"If you're going to do this, you do it alone. I enjoy being alive, thank you very much, and I don't want anyone else on this team to get killed because you were 'pretty sure' that you could reactivate the mines."

He nods silently and Celeste leads us to the Career base camp. The second we step out of cover, I tense up, sensing something wrong, and Celeste's relaxed stance does nothing to ease my suspicion. None of the Careers are here. They could be out hunting, but I'm not going to let my guard down in enemy territory. I venture forward alone, leaving Hunter and Lumen in the woods.

The bones have been scattered and no longer hold a clean border around the Cornucopia. It bothers me that some of the skulls have been used as makeshift shovels and containers. Those might be real people; they should be allowed to rest in peace if they are. If we weren't in the Games, I think I would bury them.

The boy from Three runs to one of the starting plates and digs up a mine. He pries off a panel and fiddles with the wires inside. I'd like to see what he's doing, but I don't want to be close if something goes wrong and the mine explodes. After a short while, he pulls on a wire and snaps it. He exclaims something in another language before digging up another. He tries again and still has no results after several minutes. Every second out here is a second closer to death. After a while, he returns to me and Celeste and says, "I can't do it. I'm not familiar with these types of inner workings. Only the best work in the factory that makes these."

Seeing no threat from a randomly exploding mine, I cautiously approach the remains of the Careers' fire. The embers are still glowing, and it all clicks. The walk. The camp. The trap. The _Career._ I whip around to find a spear point in my face and a knife at my back. "You _bitch," _I spit. "I should've killed you when I had the chance."

I can feel the knife trembling in the hands of the District Three boy behind me. He stammers, "I-I'm sorry, Aera. But I want to live." I snarl and he recoils slightly, but keeps the blade point in my back.

"Aera!" Several pairs of running feet come to meet me. Wait…several? I snap my head to the side and my eyes go wide.

"Hunter! Lumen! Don't!" They look over their shoulders to see the rest of the Careers on their heels. I was too late. The remaining Careers already have them disarmed and kneeling with their hands behind their heads.

_It's all over now._

Hunter calls out, "Celeste, Filferro, why?"

I fall to my knees, defeated. The boy from Three moves his dagger to my throat as Celeste brings up her spear. She laughs brashly, "I'm a Career. Why would I align myself with you and lower my chances of winning?"

Filferro answers, "I want to live, Hunter. Even if I don't win, I don't want to die yet! You were a good friend, and I'm sorry, but this is how is has to be. I've made my choice."

Despite the weapons dangerously close to me, I bark out a short laugh. "You idiot. I thought people from District Three were smart."

Filferro coldly replies, "I'm the idiot? Look at our positions. Wouldn't you rather be me right now?"

I smirk, even though he can't see it. "No, I wouldn't, because you've just outlived your usefulness. Isn't that right, Celeste?"

He looks to her as a dark grin twists onto her face, and she says, "The girl's right. Sorry, sweetheart." I hear him gasp right before she lunges forward and thrusts her spear into his chest.

_No. Not yet._

His knife bites into my throat as he falls back before coming away completely. With their attention away from me, I get up and run for the others.

Hunter grabs his sword and blocks the attack of the Career behind him, the girl from District One. Using the old District Seven rebel codes, I call, "Hunter, fly!" He rolls out from under her, knocking her off balance. A cannon goes off somewhere in the distance, but it barely registers in my mind.

I turn to help Lumen, who did the same, but not nearly as successfully. Blood is dripping from a small cut on his forehead as he struggles to keep the sword of John Stone away from his neck. I pull out one of the two switchblades I picked up at the Cornucopia and throw it, managing to score a hit on Stone's thigh. He turns to me and I laugh mockingly as he growls, ripping the blade out of his leg and throwing it to the ground. I taunt, "Come on, you going to let a little fifteen year old from District Seven beat you?" He just roars in reply. I tease, "Then come at me!" and take off with him at my heels.

"Aera! What are you doing!"

"Helping you live a little longer, stupid! Get ready to pay back the favor!" I start circling back, and Lumen readies himself and takes a stance. "Now!" I duck under the blade as he swings, while Stone takes the hit full force. I look back, hoping he's been cut in half, but I'm disappointed. The wound is certainly deep, quite possibly fatal, and very likely to get infected, but he's not dead yet. Such a shame.

"Aera! Fall!" I spin to my left as an arrow whizzes past my head. The boy from Four has finally joined the fight. Meanwhile, Celeste seems to have disappeared; I've sorely underestimated her cleverness. I take another knife from my belt and aim for her district partner's chest when a few guttural roars echo through the camp. Mutts have come to join the fun.

Like the metal birds, these are new breeds. The first thing that comes to mind when trying to identify them is "wolf", but these don't look anything like wolves. They have a similar body structure, but the resemblance stops there. They look like the scientists couldn't decide whether they wanted the mutts to be living creatures or stone golems. There is soft vulnerable flesh, but half of their bodies seem to be made of some sort of black crystal. Jagged spikes run up their snouts, down their spines and legs, and pop up in random places covered by the stony flesh. I scream, "Guys, clear!" and for the second time in as many days, I'm running for my life.

Two more cannons sound out, and I hazard a look behind me to see the victims. The girl from One and the boy from Four are on the ground with the crystal mutts tearing them apart. The Careers finally have the sense to run and they flee in the direction opposite from us. The mutts are torn with the choice of who to chase, but they go after the weaker prey…us.

There's already a fair distance between what's left of our alliance and the rockbeasts, but that gap is quickly closing. Their considerable size and weight slows them down somewhat, but our injuries hamper our escape. Hunter pants, "Aera, we have to climb. We can't outrun them."

Without another word, I leap for a tree with branches low enough for me to reach and swing up into the limbs. Hunter does the same in a different tree and helps Lumen up as one of the mutts catches up and takes a swipe at him, barely missing and ripping his pant leg instead. We climb higher in case they jump, but they take a different approach. The mutts start hurling themselves at our respective trees, trying to shake us down. I hate to admit it, but it's pretty effective.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud_._ Over and over and over again. The tree is starting to crack; I can feel it tilting. I'm sure they won't stop until either I fall or they die. We can't kill them from here, but we can still move. I whistle to Hunter and point out a path through the trees. He nods and I'm suddenly thrown sideways, left clinging to the trunk for dear life. _You've gotten into near-death situations a little _too_ often, Aera. You've only been here what, three days? Pull it together!_

*The mutts at my tree have started to alternate clawing and ramming at the damaged trunk. They've worked through a good amount of it, so I don't have much time left. Time to move. I plant my feet firmly on the limb next to me and wait for the mutts to ready their charge yet again. When they back up, I run down the branch and leap to the next tree as they knock down the one I was just in. There's no hesitation before jumping to the next tree, and the next, and the next, and the next, falling into a familiar pattern.

I used to be a rebel messenger, one of the best. They'd call me Zephyra—we never used our real names for security's sake. When someone had a priority message, they came to me. I was one of the few that could "travel by air," as they called it. I already knew how to climb and jump through the forest; being made a messenger just helped me practice. It didn't matter that I was only ten at the time because we needed everyone we could get. Traveling through the trees was faster than on foot, and who better for the job than a lightweight kid?

Being one of the fastest messengers gave me quite a reputation. Several Capitol plots were foiled because I reached the target before they did. I was regarded as both a hero and a villain, and the Capitol apparently sent orders to the Peacekeepers to shoot and kill me on sight. They never succeeded, but they managed to hit me a few times on my less important runs. But they didn't kill me then, and they won't kill me now. I die on my terms, no one else's. I'm sure that nobody from the Capitol recognizes me as Zephyra now that I'm grown up. No one knows except for those in my closest social circle and my former contacts—the ones left, that is.

"Aera, wait!" I pause and look back to find the boys quite a ways behind me, almost completely hidden by the canopy. I briefly wonder how they ended up so far behind when I remember we have Lumen with us. Right, passenger protocol. Slower, but safer. I wait for them to close the gap, but the mutts are still chasing us and we can't afford to stop.

"Hunter, get in front. I'll cover you two."

"Got it. Come on Lumen, let's go!" They follow the path I laid out, but I don't follow them. I know Hunter trusts that I'll be right behind him, and it almost feels wrong to betray that trust. But I said I'd get him home at any cost. I let the mutts get close before moving in a slightly different direction.

Three of them lost interest when I left the first tree, so now I only have to deal with half the teeth. I keep the boys in my peripheral vision so I don't lose them while leading off the mutts. I don't notice that I've fled into the dead woods until I hear a metallic screech above me. It's the metal bird mutt again, but this time there's only one. For once, I have a stroke of good luck. It dives straight past me, attacking the beasts below for invading its territory. While they're occupied, I seek out Lumen and Hunter and follow. They stopped to let me catch up, and I'm glad they did because my leg injury is starting to take its toll.

"Aera, you idiot. Your idea of cover is making yourself bait?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "It worked, didn't it? I'm still alive."

"You almost got yourself killed. _Again._ You're lucky that—"

I hold up a hand to cut him off. There's smoke from a tribute fire rising in the distance. Without a word, I bound past them and towards the source of the smoke. I want to know who it is; it could be Azani. I don't pay attention to where I'm placing my feet and end up landing on a rotting branch that snaps the second I touch it, sending me tumbling to the ground. I swear, I hit every branch on the way down. Good thing I was only about twenty feet up at the time. Any higher and it could've been a lot worse.

"Aera!" Two pairs of feet make their way towards me. "You okay? Say something!"

I wheeze, "I…hate…gravity."

Hunter gives a relieved laugh before putting my arm around his shoulders and helping me stand. He helps me walk until I can breathe easily again and we continue on our way. It's not long before we come upon the dying fire of the girl from District Nine, who is sitting directly across us, unaware of our presence. I step forward and end up snapping a twig. The second she sees us, her eyes widen and she opens her mouth to scream.

She never gets a chance. Before I realize it, I've pinned her to the ground and silenced her with a quick jab to the throat. She quickly wipes the shock and pain from her face and glares at me. That was the worst possible thing she could've done, because something in me snaps.

_This is the Peacekeeper that murdered my mother._

I don't see the teenage girl anymore. Only the Capitol puppet. The years of pent-up rage have finally released themselves in the form of my fists raining punches on this monster. The glare has finally slipped off her face, and her jaw is clenched in an effort to keep from crying out. But I want to hear her _scream._ Without thinking, I whip out one of my knives and ram it into her ribcage. She wails in agony, writhing under my grip, and a sadistic grin slowly spreads itself across my face.

_You will finally know my pain._

I twist the blade, eliciting another shriek. When I rip it out, I don't pause before tracing the crimson blade across her neck, slicing the skin ever so slightly. She shudders at the touch, and a feeling of insane glees runs through me. I cut delicate designs into her right cheek, earning terrified squeals of pain. She whimpers, "Please, stop..."

I lean close to her ear and purr in a voice not my own, "_I will never stop_."

She tries fighting back, but it's useless. All it does is anger me even more. I draw another knife and slash her stomach open, reveling in the tortured howls that rip from her throat. When I see she's finally given up, I stab her in the chest, puncturing the lung and drawing out her suffering. While she gasps like a fish out of water, all I do is laugh. When she fades away and her cannon fires, I draw one of the plumes from the metal birds and use the feather's spine as a pen, carving my rebel signature, a stylized "Z" with a feather next to it, into her left arm. Finally satisfied, I stand and turn to find Hunter and Lumen staring at me, horrified. I look back to the body of the Peacekee—no, it's the girl from District Nine. I drop whatever is in my hand and stagger back from her, gasping and trembling like she was only moments ago.

"What…what have I done?"

* * *

><p>(AN: The mutts featured in this chapter are Gorgonopsids. More specifically, the Tainted Gorgonopsids from Tear of Light, used in her fic, "Tainted Fal'Cie". Thanks for the permission, Light!)


	12. Discovery

(A/N: More music here. The song will be "Aeons" from the Final Fantasy X-2 OST. Same procedure, start at the star. End song with the second paragraph.)

* * *

><p>Discovery<p>

Lumen runs off into the woods somewhere, but I can hear his retching from where I stand. Hunter looks like he's suppressing the urge to do the same, and frankly, so am I. It's not so much the fact that I killed her that disgusts me, it's what I did to her, and that I _enjoyed_ it. What scares me most is that I want to do it again.

Hunter's still gaping at me, frozen. When I approach him, he sputters, "What—how—_why?_"

I can't look him in the eye when I mumble, "Revenge. She looked like the Peacekeeper that killed my mother." I can't bring myself to go back and take her things because I'd have to face what I've done. I just walk away, allowing the hovercraft to collect her. Not long after, I break into a run and don't stop until I reach another river and jump right in, desperate to wash the girl's blood off me. This time, the blood isn't just on my hands. It's everywhere. My face, my neck, my legs, and it _won't come off._ I stand there for who knows how long, trying to get her blood off me, scratching myself raw. I don't stop until a gentle hand closes over my own.

I look up at Hunter and say nothing as he leads me to the shallows, sitting me on a rock and wiping the blood and tears from my face. I say nothing still as he takes me into his arms and whispers sweet nothings about home and our families in an attempt to calm me down. I don't even realize I'm still shaking until I feel him next to me, steady and calm. At least I can pretend I'm just cold. When I finally speak, I disgustedly say, "I can't believe I cried."

Hunter laughs softly, "Of all the things for you to be bothered with. You're human, Aera. It's perfectly normal for you to feel sorry about what you did."

"It was absolute overkill."

"I'm not going to disagree with that. Honestly, I think I would've done the same thing if I were you."

I scoff, "You're too soft. You'd just get it over with quickly because you don't like unnecessary suffering."

Another soft laugh. "You know me too well."

The sun is starting to set, and we decide to make camp by the river so we have a water source nearby. Our stomachs growl and remind us that we haven't eaten since early this morning. We have nothing but our weapons now, and we're too exhausted to go hunting. Not even the boom of a cannon is enough to get us to move. What does spur us to action is the drop of a parachute. They were added a few years ago, during Lyra's Games, so the Capitol citizens would help their favorite tributes. I guess this is a reward for giving them a good show earlier.

I crawl forward on my hands and knees, curious as to what's inside. The container yields a first aid kit, better stocked than the one Azani picked up by the Cornucopia on the first day. This kit includes a healing liquid brewed in the Capitol labs. I eagerly rip the bandage from my leg and repair my breaking body, audibly sighing in relief as the burning and throbbing pains disappear, leaving only the most minor wounds behind. I toss the bottle to the boys and they do the same. Finally being able to move without any discomfort feels amazing. We search around camp for edible plants, coming up with a few morsels.

Tonight, the sky shows the girl from District One, John Stone, Filferro, the boy from Four, and the girl from Nine. I'm a bit annoyed that I wasn't the one to kill Stone, but I'm still glad he's gone. Guilt from the death of the girl from Nine is still eating away at me, and I strongly suspect that it will stay that way for a long time. Lyra's voice echoes in my head, '_Justifying their deaths will be the only consolation._' But what I did can't be justified. When Lumen volunteers for first watch, I don't object. I just curl up next to Hunter and drift off into worlds of my own.

* * *

><p>A cannon's boom jolts me awake. Lumen is slumped against a tree with his bangs covering his eyes. I move to wake him and yell at him for falling asleep on watch when I realize the cannon was for him. Someone's slit his throat, and there's nothing I can do. No, it wasn't just someone. <em>Celeste.<em> There's a pair of interlocking C's just above the cut. It's been a fairly recent fad among the Careers to mark their kills, and I know of only one tribute with the initials of "CC". Who else would only kill one of us instead of all of us?

Footfalls running away from camp trigger an immediate reaction from me. Before I realize it, I'm on my feet and chasing after the intruder, axe in hand. I howl loud enough to wake the dead, "Celeste! Get back here and face me, you traitor!" Of course, she doesn't. "You coward! Come back and fight!" I take to the trees, hoping for a better vantage point. No such luck. The moon is still in the sky, but not giving off enough light to see by. The fading footsteps tell me I've lost my prey. Thoroughly enraged, I turn around and head back to camp to find Hunter next to Lumen, taking his sword and closing his eyes. I tug on Hunter's hand and lead him away. "Come on. There's nothing we can do for him. Time for him to go back to his real family."

Family. It doesn't have to be bound by blood. Our alliance was—is a family, unconventional is it may be. We looked out for another, took care of each other. We placed our lives in each other's hands. And look where it's gotten us. When we leave and the hovercraft appears to collect Lumen's body, Hunter and I simultaneously whisper our goodbyes. The two of us head for the trees and try to banish the recent events from our minds with more sleep.

* * *

><p>When the sun rises and we wake up for the second time that day, we wander the arena and stumble upon an animal that isn't a mutt and have a decent breakfast for the first time in days. We spend the morning searching for Azani, but still haven't found a trace of her. We come across this one particularly creepy section of woods that's as dark as night, despite the fact that it's high noon right now. From what I can see, this part is mostly marshy wetland. There are little blinking lights floating around, making this secluded area strangely alluring. Unlike the territory of the metal birds, the trees here seem to make a wall between this region and the rest of the arena. An alarm goes off in my head, and I pause right before the entrance, throwing an arm out to my side to stop Hunter.<p>

"What's wrong?" he asks.

I point to the lights in the marsh. "Fireflies. I'm not taking the risk." The "fireflies" are more Capitol muttations used during the rebellion. They look like solid black tracker jackers, but their abdomens glow like real fireflies' do. Unlike real fireflies, the mutt's glow comes from their poison. When they sting, it burns like…well, fire, hence the name. They're just as dangerous as tracker jackers because their stings paralyze, leaving the victim to the mercy of the elements for several days. If exposure doesn't get them, dehydration will. To be stung while alone is a virtual death sentence. The fireflies hover around the skeletons that were so graciously placed there to remind us where we are. "Let's get out of here."

A twig snaps behind us and I reflexively swing my axe, cleaving into the collarbone and side of the neck of the boy from District Twelve. He drops like a rock, making a horrible choking sound while the life twitches out of him. I don't enjoy hearing him die, so I turn away and hand Hunter one of my knives so he can put the poor boy out of his misery. The choking stops, a cannon goes off, and the sounds of the wild reign once more.

The trek through the arena is unsuccessful. There are only seven tributes left, and the arena is huge. I move as though I'm on one of my reconnaissance missions, sneaking around almost soundlessly. I don't go running through the trees again because the foliage is so thick, I wouldn't be able to see anything. I have to find my target. I have to find Celeste. I'm so absorbed in this self-imposed mission that when Hunter calls my name, I automatically, almost robotically respond, "I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. That's not my name."

He simply repeats, "Aera." I turn to scowl at him. "You're not on a mission, don't give me that look."

"How did you—"

"I've known you for what, twelve years? I'd be an idiot if I couldn't read you by now." His trademark smirk appears, and I'm quickly mirroring it. Even now, as the Games slowly wind down to a close, we haven't been and won't be driven apart. Together to the end. An odd metallic groan rises up in the west, not too far away from our current position. "What is that?" I shrug and lead the way, curious as to what it is.

A short walk brings us to where the Cornucopia lies, now collapsing in on itself. Mutts are attacking the golden horn for reasons unknown, destroying it. When the mutts attack the tail end, one tribute runs out the mouth. I don't see who it is because the mutts—the metal birds, the rockbeasts, and several other breeds, new and old—fall upon the tribute, biting and tearing and stinging. The tail of the Cornucopia has been lifted, revealing an open underground entrance. While the mutts are concentrating on their victim, I grab Hunter's hand and dart into the tunnel, sealing off the entrance behind us.

Though we are underground, light is being emitted from some crystals embedded in the rock walls. The movement of the short strands of hair in front of my face tells me that there's a fresh supply of air drifting in from somewhere. There's no telling how far these tunnels extend under the arena, but I can hear water dripping somewhere off in the distance. The walls are still somewhat sharp and jagged, and though there is light, it isn't bright enough to distinguish certain colors; only enough to see where we're going. The wide tunnels manage to echo every sound, including our ragged breaths. The area must the main crossroad, because there are at least eight other tunnels leading away from this room.

"Incredible," I murmur. "This network must spread underneath the entire arena. But why is this even here? There was a good chance that no one would ever find it."

"Hey, look on the bright side." Even with my back to him, I can tell he's grinning. "We got time to relax. Whoever's left up there will be fighting off mutts and each other while we're down here, perfectly safe."

A frown immediately appears on my face. "Then that means we'll only get a day at best. If we're here too long, they'll flush us out. You saw what they did to that kid earlier." I stalk off in a random direction, not caring what traps may lie in wait. This tunnel has loads of false exits and dead ends, but what surprises me is the presence of a stone staircase. All this time, I thought we were walking parallel to the ground above us, when we were actually descending slowly. I start walking up when Hunter suddenly grabs my jacket and yanks me back just as a set of spikes shoot up from the floor, right where my foot would have landed. "How did you know…?" He just points to the holes in the step where the spikes reside. "Oh. Thanks."

We wander for some time before coming across a massive cavern and springs. This place is beautiful. The air feels fresh here, unlike the rest of the tunnels, where it's musty and stifling. There are some cracks in the stone ceiling, allowing sunlight to sift through and brighten the room. With the light from the crystals and the mist rising up from the water, the place has an ethereal feel to it. Plants by the water's edge glow softly, adding to the dreamlike quality. The crystalline blue water cascades down a small waterfall on one end of the pool and disappears underneath the rock wall at the other. Something tells me that if anyone goes under over there, they're not coming back up alive.

I relax here, stooping by the spring for a drink. As my hands near the water, I catch my reflection in the shining mirror. I look ragged, with dark circles under my once bright emerald eyes, scrapes on my cheeks from encounters with mutts and trees, and my hair in wild matted knots. Repulsed, I slap the water, shattering the mirror and sending my reflection away so I can drink in peace. After a while, I just shed my shoes, jacket, and all but one of my weapons and jump in. There isn't anyone else around, so I don't have to worry about being attacked. Still, I don't like being unarmed. Since the rebellion, I've always carried a knife with me, just as I do now.

I lose myself in the seemingly bottomless spring, swimming in lazy circles and sighing contentedly. It's a running joke around Seven that I'm a lost child from Four because of how much I enjoy swimming. When I submerge myself completely, I find the spring bed of the shallows covered with plants, and schools of brightly colored fish dart back and forth. *For a second, I forget where I am and pretend I'm in paradise. At least, until I feel something wrap around my right ankle and pull me down. I struggle to break the surface and gasp in a breath before being dragged down again. I slash blindly at whatever holds me, catching my ankle a few times instead. When the red seeps into the water, some of the larger fish attack me with their needlepoint teeth. All I can do is stab and slash at the blurry splashes of color in front of me. My lungs are starting to burn for air; I don't know how much longer I can hold out. With one last swipe, I manage to sever the vine, tentacle, whatever it is that holds me, and make a mad dash for the surface, greedily gulping in the air that rests above.

The fish are still biting, so I head for the shoreline as fast as I can without going under again. They keep snapping at me until the water becomes too shallow for them to follow, which is about halfway up my calf. I stick a few of them with my knife and fling them onto the rocks, enjoying the sight of them flopping around helplessly. They tried to make me their dinner, and now they're going to become mine. The moment I leave the water, the adrenaline rush wears off and I'm suddenly aware of the acute pain in my right leg. As soon as I attempt to walk again, I tumble forward, cursing loudly as I go down.

Hunter is napping on the shoreline with his hood covering his face, unaware of what just happened. I snap, "Hey useless, wake up!"

He rolls over to look at me and immediately notices my mangled legs. "Holy—what happened to you?" He's already on his feet and running to me with first-aid kit in hand.

I wince, "Same as every other time. Mutts. Something grabbed my leg and tried to drown me, and then the fish tried to eat me. I'd be dead right now if I didn't always keep a knife on me." I grit my teeth and turn myself over so that my injuries will be easier to treat. I'm pretty sure my right ankle was broken by that thing because it's bending at an odd angle and even the slightest movement sends spikes of pain shooting up my leg. A small whimper escapes, despite my efforts to keep from showing how much it hurts.

"Shh. Stay still and lie back while I try to fix this." He unscrews a small bottle of alcohol and pours a bit onto a strip of bandage. I hiss and stare daggers at it, knowing what will come next. "Don't give me that look," he says. "You know as well as I do that this has to be done."

"Still doesn't mean I have to enjoy it," I mutter. He presses the damp cloth to the broken skin directly above the break, and a scream involuntarily rips from my throat.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," he says.

"You put pressure on the fracture, moron. Broken leg plus alcohol burn equals my reaction."

"Sorry…"

"It's fine. If I could, I'd do it myself. You know what, hand me that elixir bottle." "Elixir" is the name we gave that Capitol potion because none of us knew what it was really called. I sigh in relief as the smaller wounds knit themselves back together, erasing some of the aches.

"Aera, I need to set the bone. We have no idea what will happen if we use that elixir without doing anything." I nod and grit my teeth and try not to scream again while he sets the bone so it can heal correctly. When he takes his hands off, I shove the elixir bottle in his face because I'm getting close to tears. Pouring the liquid will just waste it, so he gently spreads it over the wound and we watch as the skin closes up. "Okay, I think it's safe to try to move."

I slowly roll my ankle and wince. "It's still really sore, but I think it's actually healed. Thanks."

"No problem. Besides, I can't just leave my sister like that, can I?" Ah, there it is again. Sister. I can't help but smile slightly at the thought that the Games are designed to drive us apart, yet it's failing horribly. Our bond is as strong as ever, and it's not breaking any time soon.

"Day's not over yet. You wanna stay a little longer?" Actually, I want to stay, even though something's lurking in the water. It's a veritable paradise here, even though it's in the Games.

"Sure. I'm in no rush to get out of here." Sure enough, he's grinning. "It'd be nice to relax for once. Maybe I could go for a swim—"

I order, "You are _not_ going in there. Never mind the fact that I'm a better swimmer, I am not letting you get killed by whatever the hell it is in there."

He immediately puts his hands up in surrender. "Geez, kidding, kidding. You're so uptight for one so young."

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'so young'? You're only two years older than me, Hunter."

Still wearing his stupid grin, he says, "And I'm stronger, faster—"

"More arrogant, more stubborn, and much less mature," I cut in with a smirk.

"Most definitely," he nods. "Besides, you've got enough doom and gloom for the both of us."

"It's not pessimism, it's being realistic," I shoot back.

"Call it what you want, it's still doom and gloom," he laughs.

"Oh shut up already."

"Whatever you say, 'boss'." I can clearly hear the quotation marks, but I don't care. Little spats like this were commonplace back home; this is nothing new. I recollect my weapons and sigh as Hunter lies back against a rock and resumes his nap. Having nothing better to do, I take this fish from the rocks I threw them on earlier and clean them, throwing the heads and innards back into the water to fatten up their companions. Getting a fire started is nearly impossible here, but I manage. I roast the fish as the last bits of sunlight disappear from our tiny skylights, leaving only the illumination of the crystals behind. I wake Hunter and we share our dinner with some recollections of home, laughing at past moments of stupidity and talking about anything and everything but the Dark Days and the time between our reapings and now. All this talk makes me realize I miss my district—and its people—more than I thought. I simply drop out of the conversation and sigh as I turn my gaze to the little skylights, earning a concerned look from Hunter.

"What's wrong? Your leg still bothering you?"

I force a small smile and wave him off. "Just a little tired," I yawn. Without a word, he picks me up and carries me to the rock he was leaning against earlier. "Hey, what are you—I don't need—"

Ignoring my protests, he chuckles softly, "Just being nice. Don't want you to be putting your injury under too much stress," and sets me on the water-beaten lump.

I can't help but roll my eyes. "Since when is a fifteen step walk stressful, considering what we used to do?" I put a hand over my mouth and cough to hide a laugh because of my unintentional innuendo. _Wonder how the leeches are taking that statement, if they caught it at all._

The light in Hunter's eyes tells me he didn't miss it as he pulls my hood over my head and says, "I'm just being a good big brother. Night, sis."

I give a short laugh. "Night, old man."

"Old man? You wound me, Aera."

I yawn again, "You'll live. Night, Hunter."

I hear his retreating footsteps echo through the cavern as he says, "Sweet dreams, kid." I just scoff as I drift into darkness.

* * *

><p>"Aera! Aera, wake up!" Hunter's shaking me violently in an attempt to wake me. I snap my eyes open, but apparently that's too slow a reaction because he just throws me over his shoulder and starts running.<p>

"H-Hunter! What's happening?" My vision is still blurry, and being jolted around from the running is not helping. He starts to answer me, but an eardrum-shattering roar rings throughout the cavern, reverberating against the rock walls. I look up and greet the gaze of a giant snake rising out of the spring. I whisper to it, "How are you even possible?" It roars again, rising even higher to meet the ceiling and coming down after us. This time, I can clearly see its gaping jaws, with wicked fangs nearly as large as me and a tongue that looks like it's had the end cut off. As much as this massive mutt invokes my curiosity, my survival instinct overrides that. I pry myself from Hunter's grip and drop to the ground, running behind him.

"Hurry up!" he pants. "We won't be able to fight it!"

My laugh almost sounds insane as I answer, "Sure you can! If you're suicidal!" Despite being chased by a giant snake, I can still crack a bad joke. _I must really be losing it._

"Aera, as much as I love you, now is not for the time for that! Shut up and run!"

Damn, he's really scared then. Well, I am too. Of all ends for us to meet, getting torn apart by that mutt is not one I wish to have. We dash down unknown tunnels in an attempt to lose the mutt, and only end up getting lost ourselves. It's taking its sweet time coming after us as though it knows we're lost and trapped down here. No matter how much distance we put between us, as long as we're down here, it's going to find us. The only way we'll be able to escape is if we manage to get aboveground. With the mutt so far behind us now, we slow down to search for a way out. We've run into a section of unfamiliar tunnels and have no idea how to get back to the Cornucopia. It may be the only way out of here. If it is…then I've sentenced us to death by mutt.

Around a bend, the tunnel seems to brighten. Hoping for an exit, I sprint ahead only to find holes in the wall that let the natural light in, like the cavern with the spring. The holes are large enough to fit an arm through, but that's all. At the very least, we might be able to figure out where in the arena we are. A quick look reveals the dead woods, territory of the metal bird mutts. I don't remember any rock outcroppings here, but this specific area is one I've been trying to forget. I wish there were a way for us to simply dig our way out, but the rock is far too thick and we don't have the tools. I pound my fist against the tunnel wall and let out a frustrated scream. I want to get out of here, to get back outside where I'm not restricted by impassable barriers and trapped like a rat. I'm a child of the wind; all I've ever known is the sky above me.

Something goes off in the distance that sounds like a cannon, but not quite. I look to Hunter to see if he has an answer, but he just shrugs. I start walking away from the natural windows when a nearby explosion rocks the tunnel. Small sharp shards of stone and crystal break off the ceiling and fall towards us like rain. Dodging the pieces is putting a strain on my ankle and my reaction time is getting worse. We're moving forwards, but slowly. A second explosion goes off much closer to where we are, and knocks me off my feet.

I push myself up and shake my head to clear my blurry vision and ringing ears. Staggering forward a few steps before falling again, I call out, "Hunter!" _I can't lose him. I have to bring him home._ "Hunter, where are you?"

Somewhere behind me, he coughs, "Right here. Don't worry, I'm okay." He's as dusty and as ragged as I am, but at least he doesn't look hurt. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I turn around to help him because I'm sure he's lying just as much as I am, but he looks fine. There's barely a scratch on him. A sharp crack comes from somewhere above.

His eyes suddenly widen in fear and he's reaching for me, screaming, "Aera, watch out!"

I don't even see what he's warning me about before the world goes black.

* * *

><p>(AN: I really liked the crystal cavern. I would've had them stay there longer, but I didn't know what to fill that space with other than some pointless talking. And yeah, that snake-mutt-thing tried to eat Aera earlier, and she cut off the end of its tongue. Celeste's kill signature ended up being like the Chanel logo, though that was completely unintentional. Standard procedure now, R&R!

I also feel the need to add a disclaimer right now. The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins. Only the cast and arena in this story belong to me.

Really, are disclaimers necessary? I mean, this is _FanFiction, _a place to post stories we write about things we _don't_ own.)


	13. Decisions

(A/N: I would've gotten this up a long time ago if I didn't keep leaving my notebook in my locker over the weekend. So sorry. Well, enjoy the chapter.)

* * *

><p>Decisions<p>

The first thing that registers is a splitting headache. Then the voices make their way into my mind. They're fuzzy and warped as first, but clear up soon enough. I can identify Hunter, but the other is still slightly distorted. I open my mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a groan. The voices stop and their owners move towards me, breathing soft sighs of relief. I open my eyes and shut them immediately, recoiling from the light. Readjusting, I open them again to find we're back in the forest, in a small grove of fruit-bearing trees. Hunter moves into my field of vision, blocking someone behind him.

He smile softly and says, "I've never been glad to see your eyes again. You had us really scared."

_Us?_I manage, "Who, where, and how?" My mind is still too muddled to form coherent sentences, but he still understands me somehow.

"Azani. We honestly have no idea where we are. We've just been wandering around, waiting to see if you'd wake up."

"How'd we get out?"

He shrugs. "Not sure myself. Capitol had to be the one-no tribute gets bombs as weapons-but I have no idea why. Guess they wanted a better show."

"What'd I miss?"

"The one we saw at the Cornucopia was the girl from Five. Only six of us left now. Girl from Two, Celeste, us, Azani, and her partner." He cracks a grin. "Not a good year for the Careers. All the better for the rest of us, right?"

I scoff, "We have the firsthand experience." I remember the jabberjays, the tracker-jackers, and the fireflies. I was stung by a firefly during one of my missions. The poison worked so much faster than I was told it would; maybe it was because I was young and the only cases we had were adults. I fell out of the tree, screaming all the way, and broke several bones. Luckily, Hunter was with me, and he carried me all the way back to town. Needless to say, I failed that mission. That was my worst failure and I still feel guilty about it because my mark might still be alive if I made it. Several close calls were made with tracker-jackers, but experiences with jabberjays always went well. Whoever came up with the idea of feeding them lies was a genius.

Some screeches and howls far off snap me out of my reverie and remind me where I am. Azani sits and simply stares a bit before wrapping her thin arms around me in a tight hug. "I missed you."

"It's okay," I whisper. "You're okay for now." _For now. How long will it be until we split this little alliance? How long until I might have to kill you? _"You still have my pack?"

Her eyes light up and she nods vigorously. "Right here." I rifle through it to check what's left, and immediately notice the must be used to killing animals; there's a fair amount of meat here.

I decide to voice the question that been nagging at me. It looks like it's high noon, but the sun still hadn't risen when we were attacked. "How long have I been out?"

Hunter sighs heavily, "Little over a day."

I shift uncomfortably. The passage of any time passing me by without my knowing makes me uneasy. "How long were you going to wait for me?"

He buries his face in his hands and stammers, "U-until sunset."

I'm oddly calm as I ask, "And then what, if I didn't wake up?"

"We-_I_-was just going to slit your throat and let you go."

"I...thanks. I wouldn't have wanted to drag you down." I lean closer to him and whisper, "Azani was okay with that?"

"Of course she wasn't. Kept saying something about a promise."

"Right. I promised that I'd keep her safe for as long as I could. Don't think it applies if I'm in a coma," I quip drily. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten attached to the kid. We can't keep her around much longer," I sigh.

"I noticed the relationship. You've been up all of five minutes and you've already gone into your 'mom' mode," he chuckles. His slight smile disappears as he says, "She reminds you of Lavender, doesn't she?"

I shrug in reply. "More like Ruby, but still. I think I just need something to take care of or I feel useless."

"You've made her a surrogate sister is what you're really saying."

"I guess I have, and she's done the same." I sigh, "I'm an idiot, making friends here."

"If anything, it makes it harder for them to kill you." He stops to reconsider his words and amends, "Or it should." He holds out a hand and helps me up. "Let's move. We can't make it easy for them, right?" He winks and gets a small laugh in return.

We spend hours wandering without any problems. Sometime in the middle of the afternoon, we let our guard down and start getting sloppy. I almost miss the growl from the bushes to our right when a twig snaps, alerting the rest of the party. A rockbeast darts out of the brush and charges Azani. I throw myself in between them and bury my axe blade in its right shoulder as it rakes its claws across my left. I hiss and stagger back, readying another attack. With its attention on me, it doesn't notice Hunter creeping up behind it. He slices at its exposed flank, hitting more unscratchable armor than soft flesh. The rockbeast whirls around to snarl at him, and we take our positions.

Three against one should be an easy fight, but what _should_be is never what happens in the Games. Hunter and I fall into a pattern of swinging and blocking while Azani darts in for quick stabs while its attention is on us. The burning in my shoulder intensifies, and I grit my teeth to keep from screaming out loud. If only the mutt's head wasn't half-covered by that blasted crystal armor, this would be so much easier! The fact that this thing is ridiculously fast doesn't help either. We have to disable it somehow, but how? As it turns to me and glares, I have my answer.

This time it charges me, and I hook my axe around one of its legs, tripping it and sending it skidding across the ground. "Azani, blind it!" She dashes forward and gouges out its left eye, making the mutt roar and flail, flinging her away and sending her flying. She hits a nearby tree and lands on the ground in a crumpled heap.

She coughs, "I'm fine," and picks herself up. Other than getting the breath knocked out of her, she seems fine.

The mutt's still moving around wildly, trying to cover its blind side. Azani somehow manages to get its other eye, blinding the beast. It roars again and headbutts her, knocking her off her feet without even trying. "Azani!" The mutt whips around, deathly silent as it listens for my location and charges. I curse under my breath and barely dodge the creature's attack. It swipes the air in front of it, and I can't help but laugh mockingly. It snaps its head in my direction, ears twitching. The mutt lunges forward, jaws snapping shut inches from my body, and I quickly backpedal into a tree. Perfect.

I reach up with my free hand and swing into the branches and laugh again, bringing its attention back to me. The mutt tries to knock me out of the tree by using itself as a battering ram. I yelp as the impact smashes my injured shoulder into the rough bark, the sudden pain making me nearly lose my balance and fall. _Come on, Aera. Think, think! _I signal Hunter and Azani to back off and let the mutt keep throwing itself at my tree. At least I've got a plan now, albeit a shoddy one.

I root around in my pack, pulling out the coil of rope I picked up at the Cornucopia. This may not work, but it's all I have right now. I don't have any other way of getting out of the tree without having to jump. I knot a loop and throw it to the next tree over, hoping it'll catch on something and hold. The first two attempts fail, but the rockbeast is too distracted to notice the soft sound caused by my dragging the rope. The third time, it holds. I yank the rope, forcing the branch to shift and make the leaves rustle.

The unnatural animal turns its head to the other tree, ears twitching. I pull on the rope again, making more noise come from the other tree. The mutt just stands there while I'm screaming in my head for it to move. I tug the line one more time for good measure, hoping the Capitol didn't mess with its intelligence too. Hearing the noise above yet again, it turns to fully face the other tree and starts clawing away at the trunk. I can't believe that actually worked!

I smirk and jump from my tree, taking care to make as little noise as possible. The mutt rams the trunk with its shoulder, knocking the rope off whatever it was caught on. My smirk widens into a wicked grin and I let the bloodlust take over.

_This thing tried to kill me and my family. Now I get to kill it._

"My turn," I whisper, sneaking up behind the mutt and burying my axe head in its back right leg. The creature yowls and my partners rush to my side. "About time," I tease. "Let's finish this!"

Swing. Block. Mislead. Run. Laugh. Block. Rinse and repeat. Patience completely gone, I run up to it and jam my knife into its throat, wincing as the crystal spikes of its armor pierce my arm and scratch my face. It collapses, pinning my arm under its massive frame as it dies. Hunter and Azani run over to roll its body over, freeing me.

I scoff at the fallen mutt, "Good riddance."

Azani comes up beside me and gently touches the wound on my right bicep while looking at the ones on my face. "Aera, are you okay?"

My only response is wiping the blood from my face and silently walking further into the woods.

"We can't keep wasting that stuff, you know."

"Just shut up and let me heal you, Aera." Hunter's pouring some of the liquid from the now more-than-half-empty bottle onto my wrecked shoulder.

I try bargaining, "Fine. Just leave the ones on my face."

"All right. Those should heal in a couple of days anyway."

_We may not have a couple of days, Hunter._"Sounds good. We need to make that last as long as possible." I take a swig from my water bottle and sigh wearily, "We also have to break this alliance soon. I don't want to, but we have to."

"Tomorrow night?"

"That'll work. It just has to be soon."

_**Kill her.**_The voice makes me go rigid, and Hunter asks, "You alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I stand and scale a tree, testing the pull on my newly repaired muscles. Lying back on the lowest branches, I repeat, "I'm fine. I just need to think about what we have to do next." After shooting me a look, he goes to tend to Azani.

**Kill her.**

"Shut up," I whisper.

_**Kill her.**_

"No."

**Why not? At this point, it'll be a mercy.**

"I said I would take care of her."

_**You said you wanted to break the alliance. How will you take care of her?**_

"I said for as long as I possibly could."

**And you meant until she died. Kill her.**

_**If it's you, it'll be a mercy.**_

**If it's you, it'll be quick.**

_**Kill her.**_

**Kill her.**

_**Kill her.**_

I grit my teeth in an effort to silence the voices in my head, nails digging into my forearms until I draw blood. "Enough," I snarl. "I promised I'd take care of her and I'm holding myself to it." The voices merely move to the back of my mind, still whispering. I fling my arms out in exasperation, losing my balance and falling out of the tree. Before Hunter and Azani run over to help me, I cough, "I'm okay. Just need to catch my breath."

When I swing back into the tree, Azani tugs on Hunter's jacket sleeve and murmurs, "Is something wrong with her?"

He replies, "Nah, she just gets like this sometimes. Don't worry, she'll be back to the way she was before you know it." He throws her one of his signature grins, which she quickly returns. Only I see the flicker of worry in his eyes.

* * *

><p>We reach a new area, one riddled by rock formations, by sunset. Some stones form tall spire reaching for the sky while others make small plateaus of sorts; not as tall as the towers, but still high enough that a fall from the top would still kill a person. There are no trees here, only small, scruffy bushes that provide just enough shelter for the three of us. A fine layer of red sand covers the stony plains, though this part of the arena is a far cry from a desert. Not too far in the distance, a vein of green makes its way across the red-brown landscape like a snake in the wrong environment. A soft wind blows, and the movement of the green tells me I'm looking at a river.<p>

About time, too. With only one water bottle between the three of us, it runs out quickly. Thankfully, the water is crystal clear and blissfully cold. I fill the bottle and hand it off to Hunter before I hear the deep growl behind us. My pulse and breathing spike as I slowly turn around to face whatever creature has targeted us this time.

It's just a mountain lion. Looks like the odds have been in our favor for once. The cat is crouching on one of the many outcroppings, muscles tensed, ready to spring. I lower myself into a similar position, growling softly as I draw my axe. The lion roars in reply, freezing my blood and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It sounds like a screaming woman, and then it devolves into a deep, menacing growl. A shiver runs down my spine as I realize it's far too thin and it's wounded. It's desperate and more ferocious than it would usually be. The mountain lion screams again, making us all freeze. Why am I so terrified? It's not even a mutt! I fared better against the rockbeasts!

"Azani," I softly call. "Did they ever teach you how to deal with these?"

"N-no," she squeaks. "They never threatened the livestock, so I never bothered to learn about them."

The wildcat leaps from its perch in a blur of teeth, fur, and claws, aiming for the weakest of the group: Azani. She squeals and throws her knife, managing to stick it in the cat's chest. Despite that, it lands and rips into her, painting her clothes and the ground with crimson.

"Azani!" I swing and hit the animal right between its shoulders. Growling viciously, the wild beast turns to me. "It's me you want!" I snarl. It slowly limps forward, fangs dripping with Azani's blood. Despite the injury, it still leaps, claws extended. I close my eyes and swing blindly, disrupting its course just enough to cause a bad landing. The big cat roars and I reply in kind. It flattens its ears and shrinks back slightly, knowing it's outmatched, and slinks away with its tail twitching in defeat.

I toss the elixir bottle over to Hunter and hold Azani's hand as he works on her wounds. He stops treating her, leaving nearly half her injuries unhealed. He just wraps the larger lacerations and cleans out the smaller ones. Before I can ask him what he's doing, he says, "We're running low on the Capitol stuff. We have to save what's left, and her body might shut down if I use too much."

That shuts me up. Azani whimpers, "Aera, it hurts so much."

I stroke her hair and croon softly, "I know, Azani, I know. Just go to sleep, you'll feel better in the morning." She groans and I quietly shush her, taking her into my lap and holding her the way I held my siblings when they were babies. Her breathing quiets and slows while I slowly rock her back and forth. Poor kid. At least she managed to sleep. Hunter sets up to take first watch and I doze off, dreaming of home. All too soon, he's waking me up for shift swap. I lay Azani by the base of one of the outcroppings a little ways away, climbing it and sitting for second watch. Virtually alone in this desolate landscape, my thoughts start consuming me.

_**With you, it'll be a mercy.**_

**With you, it'll be quick.**

Azani whimpers in pain in her sleep.

_**You can't protect her **_**and**_** bring him home. You must choose.**_

**Choose. The Child, or the Friend?**

The way Azani described her life after the rebellion tore at my heart. I thought I'd seen enough death to desensitize me, but her experience hits home. The Peacekeepers didn't make me watch as they shot my mother, but I saw. Sometimes I still hear her screaming at me to run and never look back. I wonder if Azani still sees her sister dying. Sick as it is, I silently thank whoever let the forest fire get out of hand for sparing my family the torture of seeing me in the arena.

A tiny sob breaks below me. "Ari…" A clenched fist is the only outward sign of my anger.

_**With you, it'll be a mercy.**_

**With you, it'll be quick.**

_**Let her go.**_

**She won't feel a thing. **

_**She won't know it was you.**_

**Kill her.**

The world seems far away as I slowly draw a knife from my belt. "Mercy…" I stand, hunched forward like some feral predator. Padding over to where she sleeps, I hesitate. _She's only a child. She shouldn't have to die like this._

_**With you, it'll be a mercy.**_

**With you, it'll be quick.**

Kneeling, I place the blade against her throat, just above the pulsing vessel.

_**She won't feel a thing.**_

**She won't know it was you.**

"I have to bring Hunter home."

_**Take mercy. Be quick.**_

**Painless. Oblivion.**

A final goodbye, District Seven style. "Fly high, spirits soar."

Eyes close, a trembling hand moves, and skin breaks. Blood coats my hand, spatters my face, and a cannon booms somewhere far away. I try to wipe the blood off my face, only to succeed in smearing it around. A single dry, humorless laugh escapes me as I mutter. "Stained by the blood of the innocent. Don't suppose I'll ever be rid of it. Aera Mikena, you are one screwed up piece of shit, you are." The hovercraft comes to collect Azani's body, and all I can think of is how peaceful she looked after I did it.

Silent tears wash some of the blood away with the shadows of night as the first lights of dawn reach out over the horizon. I reach up to wipe away the tears, only to smear even more blood across my face. "Blood of the innocent…"

As the sun starts to rise, I mourn the loss of a child who had yet to live.

"I'm so sorry…"

* * *

><p>(AN: I had a hard time with this chapter, with the mutts and the voices and whatnot. There are two voices (I was originally going to have three, but that got scrapped) so that bold/bold italics thing is intentional. So...hit? Miss? Crap? Review please!)


	14. Self Destruction

(A/N: Well, not as long a wait as it could have been. And this chapter is unusually short, considering the length of the last one and the one after this. Also, another song. "Want It Need It (Jeffthestrider&MIU Mash Up)" by dynadrag. There are other, better remixes, but considering the scene, I thought this version worked best. If you choose to listen, just let the whole thing play through.)

* * *

><p>Self-Destruction<p>

Hunter says nothing when he finds Azani missing and me bloody, but he knows. He simply nudges me toward the river so I can wish myself off. I decline breakfast even though I'm sure I'll regret it later. With all the animals around and the stuff Azani collected, our food situation isn't so bad. Outside, we're fine. Inside, I can't say. I'm slowly reverting into my rebel mindset, raising mental walls once again. _Never let anyone get close. You never know when they might die on you._

I sit cross-legged by the edge of the river for what seems like hours, doing nothing but staring into the water. It laps at my boots and fingers, carrying away pieces of grass, dirt, and dried blood. The icy water numbs my hands and the lack of feeling spreading through my limbs and reaching my head. Edging further into the river, I let the water soak me and wash away my awareness. The arena slowly sways back and forth, and I let it fade into nothingness.

* * *

><p>"Aera! Wake up, wake up, dammit!" A sharp sting across my right cheek jolts me back into awareness.<p>

"Hunter? What…"

"Shit. I leave you alone for five minutes and you manage to nearly drown yourself. I thought someone killed you," he says harshly.

I scoff, "Idiot. Why'd you think that?"

"You were lying face down in the riverbank. What else am I supposed to think?" He lets me go so I can sit up and dry off. "You need to take care of yourself. How else do you expect to get home?"

_I don't expect to get back home. That's _your _job._ "I'm gonna be the death of you, is that it?"

He chuckles, "Hey, you never know. You might just be."

I turn away and bitterly mumble, "You wouldn't be the first one."

I hear him groan as he realizes exactly what he said. I've already killed three people. The boy from Eleven, the girl from Nine, and Azani. I don't count the number of animals and mutts that have met their ends at my hands. How many more until I meet my end? The Games are drawing to a close, so I'm not going to be around much longer. But I still want to find some way to kick the Capitol before I go. I won't let myself become one of those nameless bodies precious only to those that know them. I _will_ be remembered.

I get up and refill the bottle before starting back toward the forest. Less than thirty seconds pass before Hunter's footsteps follow. "Hurry up," I order. "We're too exposed out here. This isn't our territory and I want this over as soon as possible."

"You mean 'this' as in the Games, or the walk?" I can hear the snide grin in his voice, and it's starting to get on my nerves.

I snap, "Both. Now shut up and hurry up." Five left. The Games are going to get intense. More mutts, more manipulation, and four more deaths. I'm going to be one of them, but I don't care. So long as Celeste isn't the winner, this will be a good year for the districts that haven't determined themselves "career districts". Before long, we're back in the familiar setting of a lush forest, and I immediately take to a tree. Hunter quickly follows, and we disappear into the canopy, keeping a lookout for any other tributes in the area.

Here we are, standing above this little world, in a world of our own. It's safe near the sky, away from all the ground bound threats. I get so lost in observing the landscape that when Hunter places a hand on my shoulder, I move to stab him on reflex. He easily disarms me and twists my arm behind my back. I gasp, "Hunter, what the hell are you—"

He releases me and says, "Just making sure you're still you," before moving on to the next tree. Making sure I'm still me? What was that supposed to mean?

I descend to retrieve my knife and follow him on the ground. Shortly afterward, the soft thud of a body landing tells me Hunter has joined me. An uncomfortable silence fills the space between us as we search for a safe place to rest. It's not long before we reach another river. There are so many bodies of water, I start wondering if any lead to the tunnels. That waterfall was being fed from somewhere. Perhaps that spring is connected to a lake out here.

Hunter's gone off to collect supplies, so I'm alone with my thoughts for the time being. Why's he seem so on edge when he's near me? Because of what I did to Azani? Probably. But he's been drifting away ever so slowly since I killed the girl from Nine. There was something dark in his eyes when I attacked the boy from Twelve, and a general air of wariness has been hanging around him since this morning. I can't figure out what's causing this. My mind starts running itself in circles when I hear the first voice.

*"Aera," it calls. I snap out of my reverie and look around for the source. "Aera, here."

The voice is coming from across the river, but I see no one. And the speaker…no, it can't be. "Lumen?" It's not possible. I saw the wound, heard the cannon. Where is his voice coming from? I have to find out. "How are you—what is this?"

"Come across the river and I'll show you. Come, what's the harm?"

Despite the warning bells in my head, I hop across the stones spanning the water to see whatever's using Lumen's voice. I know it's not him, I know he's dead, but I want to know what tricks the Capitol is using this time. "Where are you?" His voice is drifting in from the woods and I follow it into a small field. "Lumen?"

A laugh like the sound of pealing bells comes from behind me, and another voice joyfully squeals, "Aera!"

I blanch and stammer, "W-what…how…Ruby?" I shake my head furiously and deadpan, "This cannot be happening. You're dead. You're both dead." I fall to my knees and whisper to myself, "This isn't real. Come on Aera, you know it's not real. Just more lies, more lies…"

A beat of wings draws my attention, and I look up to see a jabberjay perched on a dead tree. Lumen's voice says, "I assure you, it's real."

Something's not right. Jabberjays were only made to record and repeat, not have a conversation. A second jabberjay flits to a branch just above me, and a glint of silver catches my eye. The birds have metal bands wrapped around their right leg, with a wire coming up and disappearing under the feathers of their crests. There must be a microphone and speaker at the end of it; how else would I be conversing with the dead?

I snarl, "Shut up, you mutts."

A third voice joins in. "Now Aera, is that any way to talk to your friend?"

If I wasn't on the ground already, I would have collapsed. "M-mom?"

"I'm disappointed in you, Aera. I told you not to look back, and what did you do? You never were one to follow orders. Now look at you."

How dare they? How _dare _they? How dare they use the voices of my loved ones to mock me? "Look at _me_?" I snap incredulously. "Who was the one that got caught? Who was the one that got killed?" Tears prick my eyes from the reopening of this old wound. "Who was the one that left her family behind?" Who was the one that forced her children to grow up without a mother? And _I'm _the bad one here? I—" I cut myself off before I reveal to the entire nation that I was an active participant in the rebellion.

A jabberjay with my father's voice joins the fray and scolds, "Don't speak to your mother that way."

_So you really are dead. _Reaching my limit, I scream, "Shut up! I'm not your daughter! You're all dead, you're not real!" I rise and start making my way back to the river. I may not be able to see it, but I can still hear it.

More jabberjays join the flock, and a male voice accuses, "Not real? I'm sure my blood felt real enough on your hands, murderer."

"I don't even know you!"

"I was your first kill, and you don't even remember me? Seems like Savage was a fitting name. You killed me in cold blood on the first day."

A gasp of realization escapes my lips as I breathe, "District Eleven…"

"That's right. I bet you didn't even know my name."

"Or mine," the voice of the District Nine girl chimes in. "I didn't even do anything to you."

I justify, "You screamed. Someone could've heard you, and all of us could've been killed. I did what I had to."

Dangerously close to my ear, Azani's voice hisses, "And me?"

I can't seem to breathe, and my voice shakes slightly as I reply, "I did it as a mercy."

"A mercy? You killed me! I trusted you!" it screeches. "You monster! You murderer!"

Angry tears slide down my dirty cheeks. Guilt-ridden, I scream back, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to, but I had to! It was out of me, a mutt, or the Careers, and I'm pretty sure the other two wouldn't have let it be quick."

"You said I was like a sister to you. And then you killed me. Is that what you would have done to your real sisters? _Is it? _Answer me!"

I force my feet to move faster. _It's only a trick, and you know it. They're lies, they're all lies._ I'm in a full out run now, and the birds are following me effortlessly, taunting me the entire way. The river finally comes into view, but I'm still in the forest. The mutts are relentless, beating me with their wings, pecking my wounds, and slashing me with their tiny, sharp claws. They've broken me inside, now they're working on the shell that's left.

I try to bat them away, pleading, "Please, stop!"

"Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?" The voice of the girl from District Nine mocks. "Oh, that's right. _I _said that. And what did you say?" The voice being emitted from the mutt in front of me changes. "_'I will never stop_._'_"

Hearing my voice coming from a mutt terrifies me more than I'd ever admit. I sprint to the river with the birds trailing, shooting their insults and accusations. As I reach the water, the bird with Azani's voice rushes in front of my face and yowls, "And where do you think you're going, _Zephyra?_"

I freeze and start trembling, words taken with my breath. No. _No._ They know! They found out who I am! How did they know? How did they find out? Is…is that why I'm here? Was my reaping rigged?

The birds pick up again, more furiously than before. "Murderer."

"Monster."

"Savage."

"Rebel scum."

"You don't deserve to be alive."

"You are not my daughter."

I pick myself up and start hopping across the slick stones, cruel laughter shadowing me. The birds swarm around me, a flurry of feathers and screams. One dives at my head midstride, compromising my balance. I slip on the wet rock, bashing my head on it and falling into the river. I fight the darkness creeping into my vision, desperate to stay awake. To lose consciousness now is to die. I struggle to keep my head above the surface as the rushing water threatens to drag me under.

The water's so cold, and I can't fight anymore. Just before I go under, I hear a splash nearby. As the darkness slowly takes over, I feel something pull me back up to the surface and tow me to shore by the back of my jacket. Animal, mutt, or person, I don't care. I just hope whatever it is kills me quickly. As I'm hauled onto the shoreline, the last thing I register before blacking out is the face of a tribute that isn't Hunter.

_Make it quick._

* * *

><p>(AN: Usual stuff about leaving a review, I don't own the Hunger Games, yadda yadda yadda. I'm actually half-expecting some flames because I've let this fic go cliche/all-around bad. I completely forgot about the jabberjay scene in Catching Fire until I was writing the third chapter after this, too. Disappointing myself and probably you too with this chapter.)


	15. Descent Into Madness

(A/N: I got my ass in gear and typed up this chapter as quickly as I could in anticipation of the movie in two days. My brother got me midnight release tickets as a late birthday present. Please excuse me and read this chapter while I fangirl scream.)

* * *

><p>Descent Into Madness<p>

Once again, I wake with a splitting headache. If I hadn't let my curiosity get the better of me, I wouldn't be like this. Slowly, I realize I'm not with Hunter and this isn't where we last stopped. Instead, I'm in some unknown tribute's camp, bound, gagged, and completely disarmed. Whoever saved me is very thorough; even the knives in my boots are gone. I tense as footsteps come up behind me and there's a sound of a weapon being drawn. Annoyed, I think, _Oh, _please _don't be Celeste._

The tribute moves into my field of vision, brandishing one of my blood-caked knives. I know I should be terrified, but all I can do is stare at the blade with dead eyes. Slightly bothered, he thrusts his hand forward, stopping just before the point pierces my flesh. I don't even flinch. He frowns and asks me, "You haven't gone catatonic on me, have you?"

I rub my check on my shoulder, trying to loosen the cloth he used to gag me. He frees me and I croak, "Why did you save me?"

He gently replies, "I couldn't just stand by when I could do something."

"So you save me, then tie me up and take my weapons while I'm unconscious?" I ask skeptically.

"Just because I save you doesn't mean I trust you," he points out. "If you woke up, you could've killed me and run. I have to have some sort of protection."

He's actually right; if I woke up and he was asleep, I would've killed him. Smart boy. Would've been smarter to just let me die. "But these are the Games. This isn't how it's supposed to work."

Eyebrows raised, he asks, "Do you _want_ me to kill you?"

I sigh in resignation, "No, I guess not. But…why? I still don't understand."

"After all I've been through, all that I've done; I've still got a conscience. I can't just let an innocent girl die."

_If only you knew. Would you have saved me then? _I recollect my weapons and query, "So what's your name?"

"Asa Chori. And you?" Chori. Why do I know that name? I know I've heard it before, but where?

"Aera Mikena. District Seven. You?"

"District Ten." He looks me over and muses, "So you're the one they call 'Savage'. You look rather civilized to me." I can't help but laugh because I look like a bedraggled mess. Even the poorest of the districts would shun me right now. Asa hands me a piece of bread and continues, "I saw my cousin hanging around you during training. How is she?"

I choke on the bread, realizing why I know the name. He's related to Azani. Dancing around the issue, I reply, "She said you scared her a little. Mind elaborating?"

He puts a hand behind his head and answers awkwardly, "Right, that. See, I was a Peacekeeper during the rebellion."

Azani's voice echoes in my mind, '_The Peacekeepers made me watch them shoot her.'_

I growl accusingly, "Were you one of the squad that killed her sister?"

"Oh, she told you about that?"

"Answer the question."

_**He did it. You know he did it. Give into your desire. Kill him.**_

He turns hostile and says, "Answer my question first."

"She's dead," I spit. He's momentarily stunned, but when he asks what killed her, something in my mind disconnects and I tell him the truth.

"So what you're saying is," he mutters darkly, "I saved my cousin's killer." He stands, towering over me, and says, "I will give you a one minute head start. If I catch you, I will kill you, _Savage," _spitting the Capitol-given nickname as an insult. "One minute. Start running."

The pure rage and hatred radiating from him is so intense I flee, crashing through the brush, not caring about the trail I'm leaving behind. Once his camp is out of sight, I clamber up a tree, ignoring the throbbing in my head and the aching of my limbs. I don't know how long I've been out, but it's been at least a few hours. I'm not as agile as usual; my movements feel clumsy and slow. After a few short test jumps, I ascend into the canopy and take a rest, leaning against the trunk with my heart racing and vision blurring on the edges. When I start swaying slightly, I sit, afraid I'll fall and get caught.

There's no way I'll be able to fight Asa. He's bigger and stronger than me, probably just as fast too, if not more. I can't outsmart him like I would a simpleminded mutt. The only option I have is to outrun him and hope that someone kills him before he gets the chance to do the same to me.

The voices carried by the jabberjays bounce around in my head, endlessly taunting and repeating. Murderer. Rebel. Monster. Savage. I briefly reflect on the accusations before I realize…they're all true. I was—am—a rebel. I killed kids without a second thought. I actually enjoyed killing the girl from District Nine. I'm no better than the Capitol citizens that cheer me on. But I don't care. Not anymore.

I rise and wait to see if Asa's on my trail. I forgot that he probably knows how to track me because he lives in District Ten and to add to that, he's a trained Capitol soldier. A child soldier at the time, but a soldier nonetheless. They showed me no mercy, and no mercy will be shown from me. But for now, I run and survive.

After seeing no trace of Asa, I take off in the direction I came. Hopefully, this is the direction of the river, but I'm completely lost. I pause and close my eyes, straining to hear the rushing of the river over the sounds of the forest. Detecting nothing, I keep moving in the same direction. I misjudge the distance on one of my jumps and land on a rotten branch below the one I was aiming for, shattering it. I hear the sickening snap before I register the drop. On the way down I hit other branches, punctuating each impact with a sharp cry, and landing hurts just as much, knocking the air out of my lungs. I lay there for several minutes, catching my breath and trying to register the fact that I _really_ hate gravity. Rolling over sends a searing pain shooting through my side, and I look down to see a sizeable shard of wood sticking out of my side, just under my ribs. I rip it out with a pained yelp and clutch the oozing hole in my side.

To my dismay, I realize I have nothing to clean the wound with. I tear some strips from the hem of my shirt and wrap them around my body, forming makeshift bandages. I shakily get to my feet and stumble in the same heading to an unknown destination. I have no water and I'm being hunted. Lovely. I have to keep going, if only for the promise of nothing and a vow of return. As I go on, a soft whooshing sound pervades my hearing and I pick my head up, unsure if it's real or just wishful thinking. I carefully scale a tree for a better view and sure enough, I see the white froth just above the canopy. A tired sigh of relief is the only outward sign of my excitement. I head back down to the ground and continue the trek on foot, unwilling to risk another fall.

The pain in my side fogs my thoughts, slows my steps, makes me sloppy. All I can think about is getting to the river. _Water is life. All else is a threat. I must survive. I must fulfill my promise. Find Hunter. Kill Celeste. Survive. Just keep moving._ Finally, the river is in front of me. If I'm lucky, Hunter should still be in the area. I make my way across the rocks and find nothing.

Luck is never on my side.

By some miracle, I've found the area where I left Hunter behind. Our footprints are the only remnants of our presence, and they're so obvious I can't help but wonder if someone else has gone tracking Hunter. There are only two sets of prints, though. My head is clear enough that I reason if I follow Hunter's prints, they'll lead me to him if he stayed on the soft mud of the riverbank.

Before long, searching turns into wandering and the exertion has the bandages under my shirt soaked. I take them off and wash them in the river before reapplying them even tighter than before. The pressure around my ribs clears my mind a bit, and I remember that I was looking for Hunter. But all I want to do right now is take a rest. I'm so tired that I don't care if someone kills me right now. Exhausted, I crawl under a bush and fall asleep.

* * *

><p>When I wake up again, it's still daytime and it doesn't seem like anybody has passed by. Oddly enough, the pain in my side is gone, though my shirt is soaked with blood. I push the foliage aside and start walking along the river once more. After a few minutes, I see someone lying face down in the bank. I force myself to move more slowly and draw a weapon; whoever attacked this tribute is probably still nearby.<p>

As I near the fallen tribute, I realize I don't recognize him. He seems to be smaller than Azani, and she was the shortest one I recall seeing. His mahogany colored hair seems familiar, but none of the others have this color. Only I do. I rush forward, a pang of fear hitting me. Only now do I see the burns. Only now do I recognize that lanky frame. Only now do I notice the bracelet on his left wrist. A thin silver chain with a feather shaped plate in the center, made from one of my old earrings and half a broken necklace. I made an identical one for his sister. Our sister.

The boy lying before me is Mason.

I cradle my little brother in my arms and scream to the sky, to the Capitol, "Why?"

_**You know full well why.**_

"Is this my punishment? Is this how you get your sick thrills? Why?"

**Monsters. All of them.**

_**All of you.**_

_I am _not _a monster! _I try to control my sobbing as I hold Mason's body more tightly. _Don't cry, damn it! Don't give them what they want!_ With nowhere for the anguish to go, it turns into anger. I roar into the sky, "You monsters! Murderers! You…you call _us_ barbarians because we have less than nothing, and you live like kings, rolling around in food and forcing kids to kill each other for your entertainment! You want to see savages? Look in your mirrors!"

I look back down and find the body in my arms is no longer Mason, but Lavender. "What? How?" Her burns are so much worse, I don't think she died from smoke inhalation. Parts of her look melted, and I have to fight the rising urge to vomit. There are only minor cuts and burns on her face, so I push her bangs aside and whisper, "How could they do this to you?" I look at the silver bracelet on her right wrist and close my eyes, struggling not to cry again. "I'm so sorry…"

_**This is all your fault.**_

_How is this _my _fault?_

_**You weren't there to protect them. She died because she tried to save the boy. She tried to be you and play guardian, when she has neither the skill nor the experience to be doing so. **_

**This is your fault.**

_Because I was reaped?_

_**Because you were a rebel.**_

_I _am_ a rebel._

_**And that is why you are all alone. All you care about are gone. **_

**All those you love are dead.**

_That's not true. I still have Hunter. _

_**Do you now? Open your eyes and see the truth.**_

I look down to see the person in my arms has changed once more. This time it's Hunter, stabbed several times and throat slashed. A trickle of blood drips slowly from the corner of his lips. I gasp in horror, gaze flitting from his wounds to the bloody knife in my hand. "When did I...? How did I…?"

**All those you love are dead.**

_**See the truth.**_

The pain in my side has returned, worse than ever. I shriek, "No! This can't be happening!"

**This is your fault.**

I utter the same words as when I killed the girl from District Nine. "What have I done?" I don't even notice the signs until it's too late. Animals everywhere are fleeing, and the crashing in the brush is near impossible to miss. There's no time to run, and I'm not leaving Hunter anyway. The massive sea serpent mutt from the crystal cavern rears up and lets out an eardrum-shattering roar. It eyes me and makes some sort of twisted grin before bearing down, jaws snapping shut around me with a sickening snap.

* * *

><p>I bolt upright, screaming. Before I can attract anything, I bite my wrist hard enough to stop the sound and end up drawing blood. When I remove my arm, I pant, "Just a dream…only a dream. Block it out, it meant nothing. You're okay, Aera. You're going to get through this." I'm obviously not okay if I'm talking to myself, but those are thoughts for a time and place far away from here.<p>

I shudder as I recall the dream. It just seemed so real, and I completely forgot about the serpent mutt. I really hope it stayed underground; there're already enough mutts up here. Getting to my feet feels like it takes forever, and now I can feel the full weight of my weapons. They may be a burden, but I can't bring myself to leave any behind. Some other tribute might find it and end up killing me with one of my own weapons because I thought it was useless.

Actually, the Games have to be drawing to a close now. If I've learned anything from the past four years, the Gamemakers will try to bring us all together. Maybe they'll send something especially bad for me because they owe me a lot of trouble and they know I can't escape this time. The thought that President Brooks is enjoying watching me grow into the mask I created, turn into the Savage of Seven, spurs me on. Forget the weight of the weapons and focus on winning. Forget old promises that no longer apply. I'm going to win this Game and kill the President on my Victory Tour. Nothing else matters. I _will _get my revenge.

A chorus of deep growls pulls me out of my pit of anger and back into the arena. I turn to face the creatures that dare threaten me and come face to face with a pack of rockbeast mutts, led by a manticore.

A weary groan escapes my lips. I hate it when I'm right! I look into the sky and say, "Really, Gamemakers? _Really_? Capitol!" I back away slowly, moving toward a high tree. I'm about to run for my life while alone, injured, and hopelessly outnumbered. And the manticore can fly. Well, not quite, but their wings help them jump impossible distances. I'll have to climb to the very tops of the trees if I want any chance of escaping. Slowly climbing up backwards with small handholds and footholds, I never take my eyes off the mutts. When I get above the rockbeasts' jumping level, I step onto a branch and look down on the fangs and claws waiting to make a meal out of me. I turn to run and all hell breaks loose.

The manticore bays and the chase begins. I jump up the branches like steps until they become dangerously thin and then I leap to the next tree. I draw my axe, ready to defend myself. The scene from my private training session with the Gamemakers plays out in my mind, comparing that scene with this one. So similar, yet so different.

The manticore springs up and I swing at it, deflecting the blow. I climb even higher, until the branches start breaking under my weight. Once more, the manticore leaps to knock me out of the tree, and I knock it away, almost falling. From this vantage point, I can see the Cornucopia. Remembering the swarm of mutts that tore apart a tribute, I resolve to make an escape route in the opposite direction, toward a denser part of the forest and not too far from the desert area. Between mutts and wild animals, I'd take the wild animals any day.

Now that I have an escape route, I take off with the pack on my heels. The burning in my side hampers my speed and distance, reminding me just how dire my circumstances are. The wound has probably reopened, but I can't stop to look now. I risk descending to the middle layer of the canopy, hoping to move more quickly. It works, but the manticore tries more often, and even the rockbeasts have tried vaulting for me, even though they're far below me. I've thrown a knife or two, but only managed glancing blows.

Sweat drips into my eyes, blinding me temporarily. I misjudge the distance on a jump and land heavily on my bad ankle, momentum throwing me forward. I fall once more, but manage to get caught in a tangle of branches between this tree and the next. The impact leaves me breathless and stuns me momentarily, but the heavy panting and low growling of the mutts waiting below forces me to focus.

When I stand, the manticore pounces yet again, aiming for me with its stinger this time. I aim and strike, nearly hacking off the mutt's tail. The manticore yelps in pain and falls back down, landing on its side. The rockbeasts, smelling fresh blood among them, turn in their leader and fall upon it, finally having their long-awaited meal.

I don't stay to watch. I leave again, moving as quickly as my side and ankle will allow me. They seem to throb in time with each other, amplifying the pain. Once the pack is out of sight, I drop to a slow, steady pace for a few minutes before I hear a voice say, "Where do you think you're going, Zephyra?"

I pause and snap, "You're not really Azani, so get out of my sight, mutt."

The jabberjay sassily replies, "Sorry, I don't take orders from murderers."

I turn to leave and say, "I'm done with this."

"Suit yourself, rebel scum."

That does it. I lunge forward and slash at the thing with my longest knife, just managing a fatal wound. As the jabberjay falls, more take its place, bombarding me with insults in voices I'll never hear again. They follow when I move back down to the ground, each word like a tiny blade stabbing what's left of me.

Disgrace. Failure. Saboteur. Murderer. Monster. Rebel brat.

The chorus of taunts suddenly reverts into a discordant squawking as the birds panic and fly off. That can only mean one thing: there's another tribute nearby. The pain from my wounds is so intense now, I stumble and collapse after a few steps toward cover. I look down at where I was pierced by the branch to find the entire right side of my shirt has been stained red.

Darkness creeps into the edge of my vision, and I barely register the sound of approaching footsteps on dry leaves and rocks. Words are spoken, but muffled by the pounding of my pulse in my ears. When hands make their way under me and pick me up, I panic, but can't move. _Who is this, and what do they want with me?_ I look up to the tribute's face. It's blurry, but I would recognize it anywhere. A slight, weary laugh escapes my lips.

It's Hunter. Looks like the odds were in my favor after all.

* * *

><p>(AN: Hmm, this chapter wasn't as long as I thought it was. I thought it was roughly 4,500 words, but it's only about 3,800. You know the drill, leave a review. They motivate me to write better quality chapters.)


	16. Limit Break

(A/N: I saw the movie twice (first with family, again with friends) and found it better the second time around. Was anyone else bothered by the lack of Madge (granted, she wasn't really necessary) or the final mutt scene with Cato? I was waiting to see the eyes...and then it never came. Oh well.

I've been toying with the idea of a chapter with Aera's Games through the eyes of a Capitol citizen. Good, bad, meh? It breaks continuity, but I feel like it would be a fun experiment. Only problem is where I would put it.

This chapter ended up being broken into two because if I left it as it was, it would've been roughly twice as long as the longest chapter I have, and the imbalance just bothered me. So yeah, I'll rewrite the second part and upload it some other time. Anyway, on with the story.)

* * *

><p>Limit Break<p>

Now that I'm back with Hunter, I allow myself to rest for the first time in what feels like ages. With him, I know I'm safe. By nightfall, he brings me back to his camp, by a small sandy bluff providing shelter on one side. The pines and oaks weave together, providing good cover. I fell asleep on the way here, so there's no way of knowing where we are. When I woke up, I found the wound in my side mostly healed and my ankle wrapped in bandages. Hunter disappeared a few minutes ago, leaving the supplies with me. He's supposed to be my enemy, but I can't help worrying about him. We grew up together, and a few weeks in the Games aren't enough to make us turn against each other.

With Hunter's return, I ask, "What made you come back?"

He gives me an incredulous look and laughs wearily, "What made _me_ come back? You were the one that left. What made _you _come back?"

I sigh, "I was being hunted. Please tell me you heard a cannon after you found me."

"Actually, I did. With all the blood, I thought you died in my arms. It was terrifying."

I realize his eyes are slightly red and puffy. Did he actually cry over me? Never before have I seen Hunter cry, not even when we lost our families. Not even when we lost the rebellion. I mask my surprise by teasing, "Aww, big brother cried over me."

He says in a tone reminiscent of Lumen, "I did no such thing."

I continue teasing, "Your face says otherwise. You care about your little sister, how cute!"

A grin finally appears on his face and he answers, "I've only been watching out for you for years now. It's kind of impossible not to."

I can't help but smirk. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that." I can't deny I'm glad to see him, but there's no way I'm telling him that. It would only inflate the oversized ego he uses as a façade. Hunter's really quite insecure, but he hides it incredibly well. "Say, how much of the Capitol stuff do we have left?"

He holds up the little bottle for me to see. "Not much. I used a lot with your injuries. If you get seriously hurt again, that might be the last of it."

I nod absentmindedly in reply, eyeing the setting sun. Four tributes. Three days left at most. As the golden light pours down on the arena, I wonder where Celeste and the girl from Two are. I haven't seen either of them since Celeste betrayed us. Maybe they were allied for a while but separated not too long ago. From what I recall, everyone splits up in the closing days of the Games, which means Hunter and I have the longest running alliance right now. I watch as he tries to build a makeshift crutch for me and I allow the smallest of smiles to dance on my lips.

Hunter looks up and gives me an easy smile in reply, the rift previously between us repaired. He tosses the crutch and says, "Learn to fight with something other than an axe or knife. You were working with staves in training. Get to it."

I snort, "You're kidding. You're kidding, right? There's no time left to learn anything new, and what am I supposed to use for practice? You?" His answering grin is the only answer I need. "You—you're serious. No."

"Come on, take a swing. You'll see I'm right," he reasons. When I refuse, he takes his sword and moves to attack me with the flat side of the blade, giving me plenty of time to react and block. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" He strikes again, faster.

"Easy for you to say," I grunt. "That can cut through this and kill me if you're not careful, and I highly doubt that's what you're trying to do." Throwing the crutch aside, I rise and draw my axe. "Since you want me to beat you so badly, let's spar."

Hunter smirks, "Gladly, sis." He adjusts his grip and our battle begins. The thwacking of our weapons hitting each other echoes through the forest, but our cries of exertion are hushed, even though laughter rings out occasionally. When he disarms me of my primary weapon, I draw two knives and continue the match, unwilling to be the first to fall. I'm at a ridiculous disadvantage, but I'm not going to give up and just let Hunter win. I hate undeserved victories.

"Come on, old man," I mock. "You're tired already?"

He boasts, "Kid, I could go on for hours."

"Oh, I know you can. You can tire anyone out but me," I laugh.

"Is that a challenge?" He dodges a knife thrown in his direction.

"What do you think?" I cross my blades and block another hit.

"You're on, sis!" The match picks up in intensity. Hunter manages to keep me from reclaiming my axe, but a knife point to the inside of his wrist disarms him, forcing him to switch to knives. We continue on in this fashion, trash-talking and insulting, analyzing each other's fighting styles and adjusting accordingly, and keeping the other from picking up their main weapon. After half an hour of this, Hunter knocks the last knife from my hand and forces me to the ground.

"Damn it," I pant. "Yield." He was always the better fighter between us, and close quarter combat isn't my forte. And as luck would have it, it's the only type of fighting I've done in the arena. I've improved since training, but I'm still safer attacking at a distance.

Helping me sit up, he praises, "Not bad. You've gotten a lot better since…well, you know." Since the rebellion, he means. Since I was Zephyra. He doesn't know about the jabberjays, doesn't know the Capitol found out who I am. Carving my rebel signature may have been what tipped them off; hell, it probably was. Well, there's nothing I can do about it but run with the whole 'rebel savage' persona I created.

"I didn't need to fight back then," I shoot back. "And they know, so we may as well talk about it. Forget the sponsors; I'm pretty sure they all left when I killed Azani." I sigh, "I guess it's good that we haven't really needed anything anyway."

"To be fair, that Capitol medicine must have cost a lot, and it's been a few weeks since the Games started," he points out. "Everything might be too expensive now if we're not getting anything."

"Or we have no sponsors," I repeat. "Admit it, you know I'm right."

He stretches and replies, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Wiping the sweat from my face, I huff, "You stubborn ass."

He cheekily grins, "You know you love me."

"Keep telling yourself that," I snort, idly tossing my last knife in the air. "It's hard to love you when you nearly break my wrist every time you try to get a weapon out of my hand."

Handing me the rest of my knives, he explains, "That's for you. I disable them, you take them down. Better chance of you surviving."

"So what's your kill count?" I ask casually.

Startled by the sudden conversation change, he just says, "What?"

"You heard me. How many of our…competitors have you taken down?"

"None. Why do you ask?"

I scoff, "Liar. Boy from Twelve was your work."

He takes a seat and points out, "Actually, no. He bled out before I got to him. That was all you."

"So your hands are still clean, is that it?"

"Not at all. I had a fair body count back then. And I was _twelve._"

"How could I forget?" I state flatly. "You shot a Peacekeeper right in front of me. I kept seeing it for years. He was the first person I saw die. Was he your first kill?"

"I…I don't know. It's been a long time, and they all start to look alike after the first few," he admits. "I got used to it after a while. Started to enjoy it, pretended it was a game. _See how many enemies I could take out,_" he spits disgustedly. "I wasn't a bad shot, but I wasn't a real soldier to begin with. The adults did all the real fighting, while kids like me were assigned as bodyguards to kids like you. My first partner, my best friend, was killed by a sniper." He makes the gunshot gesture right between his eyes and continues in a detached voice, "Then I was assigned to you, and that's when I vowed to never let anything happen to you; that I wouldn't make the same mistakes with you that I did with him. That's when I turned everything into a game." He looks at me, hazel eyes loaded with the agony of recall, and I automatically hug him. He laughs wryly, "You have no idea how scared I was during the firefly incident. To think that I was losing another partner…another friend…I started looking for revenge because I didn't know how to deal with it."

"I remember that," I sigh. "I thought you turned into the evil twin version of yourself or something, all covered in blood and dirt. When I woke up, you just stood by the door, looking at me like you weren't sure I was real. Then you disappeared, and I heard news reports of a rebel going rogue every now and then. Was it you?"

"Yeah. I pretended I was older, joined the older teens and adults in a few battles. Snuck away during the actual fighting and went looking for Capitol bases. When I found them, I'd pick off a few sentries and then head back to the field before they could get me. When you were well enough to pick up missions again, I quit volunteering and rejoined you."

"You were almost happy then," I muse. "I take it you got your revenge?"

He laughs again, mirthlessly. "Not quite. I blamed myself for what happened to you, so I tried to be a better guardian. I don't know if you know just how many times I saved you."

"I'm pretty sure I was able to hear when gunshots went off behind me," I say drily.

He jibes, "We had little things called silencers, remember?"

"Even then, they can still be heard at close range."

"But it was more than that," he confesses. "After you became the top ranked child messenger, the Capitol started sending tails after you. I used one of the other kids to distract them, and after you got away, I'd ambush them and add them to the body count."

I ask in a voice devoid of all emotion, "How many did they send?"

He gives me an empty half smile and says, "Only three. I like to think that they got the message after the third one, but then they started sending people after me."

"So that's what happened? When you started pushing me away, started volunteering for missions with the teens and adults, I started thinking it was something I did. Every time I heard you were going out, I was worried you'd never come back and I'd never get the chance to apologize for something I wasn't sure I did. But then you went back to the way you were." I'm honestly surprised that Hunter is willing to talk about the past like this, when all of Panem is listening. This is the first time he's been so open about his part in the Dark Days. When I'd ask about it before, he'd close himself off and I'd be left in the dark.

I never knew how deep his protectiveness ran. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but now it all makes sense. Ever since the Dark Days, he's been trying to ensure my survival. He's protected me long enough, and I will be forever grateful, but now it's my turn to repay the favor. Besides, what would I say to his brother if I come back and Hunter doesn't? That Hunter valued my life above that of his own family? That he sacrificed himself so I could come back to nothing? There is no way I could look into that innocent child's eyes and explain why I'm the one that returned when nothing is left for me. I can't. I won't. I'll kill all the other tributes on my own if that's what it takes.

Suddenly, an old memory wakes up and runs through my mind.

* * *

><p><em>I voice the question that's been lurking at the back of my head since the first Hunger Games. "What's it like to kill someone?"<em>

_The look Lyra gives me makes me regret asking. It's loaded with guilt, sorrow, and anger. "It's like nothing you've ever experienced. Once it happens, it will stay with you forever. I still hear the screaming at night. You learn to cope with it, though. In the short term, justifying their deaths will be the only consolation. It was either them or you, and you did what you had to."_

"_Anything to stay alive," I deadpan. _

* * *

><p>Heaving myself into an old gnarled tree, I ask, "How did you deal with it?"<p>

"With what?"

"The killing. How did you justify it?"

He looks at the ground forlornly and says, "I told myself that no matter how many Peacekeepers I killed, it would all be worth it in the end when we beat the Capitol." He closes his eyes and shakes his head before continuing, "And then we lost. And the lives of all those people I killed were wasted.

"After the Treaty of Treason was signed, and the rebel leaders executed, I found myself wanting to die with them. I thought I deserved it. Why would I get to live while so many others died?"

"We all felt like that," I cut in. "Maybe we should've died back then."

He shoots me an irritated glare, eyes hard as steel. "And leave Lavender to the reaping? You wouldn't have, and we both know it."

"Same could be said of you and your brother."

"At least I still had both my parents," he spits. That hurt far more than it should've. I flinch and he immediately looks apologetic. As I slide out of the tree, he puts a hand on my shoulder. "Aera—"

Shaking his hand off, I snarl, "Save it." Seething, I stalk off into the forest.

He calls after me, "Aera, wait!" I break into a run, determined to disappear. "Aera!" I don't stop, and neither does he. When he starts following, I swing myself up into a pine and climb, trying to make myself blend in with the needles. Hunter wanders around, unsure of where I am. "Aera!" I don't answer, instead curling up in the eaves and yanking my hood over my face. Hidden from the cameras, I let the dam break and cry silently. I thought I shed all my tears for the Dark Days a long time ago, but I guess I was wrong.

A rumbling in my stomach reminds me that I left the supplies with Hunter again, so I'll have to go back eventually. Oh, who am I kidding? I would have gone back whether I had the pack or not. I don't break my promises, and that will never change. When the sun hides behind the horizon and the glittering starts light the sky instead, I drop out of the tree and return to camp to find Hunter leaning against the bluff, back to me. When I approach him, he murmurs without looking back, "I wasn't sure if you were going to come back at all."

I sit next to him and curiously ask, "How did you know it was me?"

"If it was anyone else, I'd be dead already. After the conversation we just had, I'm surprised the Gamemakers haven't killed me already. I _am _the famed Red Ghost, after all."

I cough in surprise, "That was _you_?"

He smirks and answers, "Just kidding. From what I remember, the Red Ghost was a woman, and nobody knows exactly who she was. I used to look up to her, but not anymore." The sliver starlight makes him look older, like the broken, battle-weary soldier he was instead of the teen he is. Shifting, he sighs, "I'm so tired, Aera."

"Then sleep. I'll take watch," I say gently.

He yawns, "But I mean so much more than that…" and drifts off to sleep with his head in my lap.

I stroke his hair and whisper to myself, "So brother, what _do_ you mean?"

The night wears on.

* * *

><p>I wake up underneath Hunter's jacket, spread over me like a blanket. He's sitting nearby, still on watch. The dark circles under his eyes betray just how little sleep he's gotten as of late. He was restless last night, tossing and turning, mumbling the rebel codes of Seven. I never knew how damaged he really is because he keeps everything bottled up and capped with a grin.<p>

The forest is oddly loud today. I can hear rainfall somewhere in the distance, and the birdsong falling through the leaves seems particularly exuberant today. Maybe it's because the Games are almost over, I don't know. We trek slowly with our weapons drawn, waiting for mutts or tributes to come our way, but none do. The dappled light has an eerie feel to it, as though the arena itself is counting down the time left.

Several times, I hear the snapping of twigs nearby, but quick scans of the area reveal nothing. For some reason, the mutts seem to be absent. There are no distant howls from the rockbeasts, no screeching from the metal birds, no roaring from the manticores. Only natural animals seem to occupy the arena today. No more interference via mutts, I guess. They must want to see real combat between tributes and watch the blood flow. Betting must be getting hot now that there are only four of us left.

In all honesty, I would put my money on Celeste instead of myself despite the fact I have an ally. As for the District Two girl, I don't even know her name, much less her skills. When I saw her at the ambush, she was using a sword, but so was everyone else. The Careers can't all have the same primary weapon; it seems to be an unspoken rule among them. To prevent squabbles or something, I don't know. I just hope she doesn't have a ranged weapon—if we don't see her first, then we don't have a chance.

Another twig snaps to our right, and I whip around, growling and brandishing my axe. I feel Hunter tense next to me and we move until we're back to back. I whisper, "Anything?"

"Nothing. You?"

"Nothing." Nothing we can see, anyway. But the nagging feeling that we're being watched will not leave me alone. "Let's keep walking, but keep your guard up. I think something's following us, but I don't want to stop."

He nods and resumes his position next to me. We take care to move soundlessly through the forest, straining our ears for anything out of the ordinary. It's like we're a million miles away from another soul, but someone—something—is breathing down our necks. Suddenly, Hunter warns, "Aera, watch out!" and shoves me forward. There is a thud behind me, followed by the sound of someone fleeing through the brush. I turn around to see Hunter writhing on the ground with a dart in his neck.

I scream his name and rip the dart out, hopefully lessening the amount of whatever poison tainted him. Grabbing the Capitol elixir from the pack, I unscrew the bottle and pour a capful of the stuff down his throat, praying to forbidden deities that it works. It doesn't. It just seems to speed up the work of the toxin, and he starts frothing at the mouth and choking. I plead, "Come on, stay with me!" His thrashing lessens to twitching and he manages to breathe once again, gasping for air. Just when I think making him drink the Capitol medicine actually worked, he screams.

The sound ices my blood. The death screams of my fallen comrades from the Dark Days fill my mind as Hunter's tortured wail fills my ears, echoing and blending with all the rest. I clap my hands over my ears and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block everything out and regain control. It doesn't help. All it does is add in the remaining elements of the memories so now I see the bloodied bodies falling beneath my feet, smell the acrid scent of gunpowder, feel the tremors of distant bombings run through my body. Instead of blocking everything out, I've locked myself into a mental prison while Hunter lies dying beside me. I want to escape, but I can't find a way out.

_I am useless._

I get forced back into reality when Hunter's trembling hand grabs my wrist and brings me closer to him. He pulls me into a tight embrace and I hold onto him like a lifeline, unwilling to face the truth. I can't tell if the shaking is from the poison's effects or from me, and does it matter? All I know is that my best friend is dying. He wipes the tears from my face—when did I start crying?—and rasps, "Aera, don't cry. Be strong."

Sitting up, I say, "Hey what are you implying?" I try to make it sound like a joke, but it comes out as a choked, broken whimper.

"That you're the strongest person I know," he answers. After a strangled cry, he continues, "So much more than me. I'm finally getting what I deserve…"

"Don't say that," I whisper fiercely. "It should be me. So many people have died protecting me, and I'll never get the chance to repay the favor, or even thank them. But you…" Voice breaking, I force myself to finish, "Thank you. For everything. For taking care of me. Then and now."

He coughs up blood and wheezes, "No problem, sis. Just promise me…"

"Promise what?"

"Promise me that you won't let them win…and that you'll stay Zephyra…"

I laugh through the tears, "Be a rebel? You don't have to ask twice, brother."

His breathing slows, and the twitching has already stopped. He whispers with a smirk, "Run free, kick ass. I'll tell them you say hello…" and his eyelids droop closed.

_I failed._

"Hunter? Hunter! _No!_"

Somewhere, a cannon booms.

The finality of it all hits me and I break down completely, sobbing over the body of the boy I called my partner, my friend, my guardian, and my brother. Unable to keep everything in check, I let a mournful, beastly howl rip from my throat. The sound can be described as anything but human. It is the sound of a thousand bloodthirsty mutts looking to rip out the throats of every living creature before them, the sound of Death's cruel laughter, and the sound of twelve shattered districts calling for revenge. It echoes throughout the forest and rings out into the arena, into the range of anyone nearby, if anyone is nearby.

Without Hunter, the voices return. This time they make sense, and I am inclined to listen. _**Useless child.**_

**You failed to protect him. You have nothing left.**

_**Take revenge. You promised.**_

**Kill them. Kill them all.**

"I promised," I whisper. Slowly, my sobs transform into broken laughs. They increase in frequency and intensity until I'm laughing hysterically. "I promised," I cackle. "And I failed. Not anymore. Not this time." I take his sword to remember him by, but not his token. I know people back home will find it more precious than I do. They'll encase it in glass and place it in the memorial for the rebels lost during the Dark Days. He'll be immortalized. I could not wish for more.

I brush the dirt from his face and sigh gently, "You shouldn't have died for me. Not for Zephyra, Savage of Seven and Red Ghost of the rebels." The Red Ghost bit is a lie, but I wonder if the Gamemakers know that. I guess if they did, I'd be dead already. I doubt the Capitol audience knows that, though. I've definitely put a target on my back, but it ensures that I'll go down fighting, the way I always wanted. Bowing my head, I bid him farewell one last time. "Fly high, spirits soar. I hope you're at peace, brother. Goodbye." I scrape my rebel signature into the dry earth with a knife, making sure everyone will know who I am, who we were.

Nothing is holding me back now. Half-crouched, I stagger deeper into the forest, panting like a feral beast. If anyone can hear me, let them come. I'm not afraid anymore. My last words from the interview echo in my mind. '_Don't count me out because of my loss. I have nothing left to lose, and that means I will do anything to win.'_ I have nothing left to lose. I will do anything to win. I said I would give them the audience a good show, and I haven't yet. They want to see a savage? I'll show them Savage.

I wander around the arena, searching for the tribute that murdered my partner and threw a wrench into my plans. It had to be a tribute. If it was Gamemaker intervention, then both of us would be dead, not just him. I should be dead several times over, but sheer luck saved me. If not for Hunter, Lumen, or even Celeste and Asa, I'd be six feet under the grass of District Seven right now. I sigh heavily as I realize that I should have died five years ago, during the Dark Days.

Emotionally and physically drained, I decide to climb a tree and sleep, even though it's mid-afternoon. The sky is my sanctuary, and I need to withdraw somewhere I will not be disturbed. It's a good thing none of my competitors have learned not to look up as they walk. It will end up a fatal mistake. I pull my hood over my face and replace the reality of the arena with a recollection of home.

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><p>I wake to the beginning of Panem's anthem and the Capitol seal hanging in the sky. Tonight shows me Hunter and Asa one last time, if only for a few seconds. As Asa's picture fades out, I whisper, "Fly high, spirits soar." Even though he may have tried to kill me, I still thank for saving me from the river. I owe my life to him as well, reluctant as I am to admit it. It is because of them I am alive, and it is for them I will win.<p>

When I awake again with the arrival of dawn, my heart lightens ever so slightly when I recall that Hunter died smiling. After all he's done for me, it's all I can do to come out as victor. The smallest of smiles graces my lips and slowly twists itself into an ominous grin. _I will win. I will have my revenge. _A dark laugh escapes as I choose my target. No more running away now; I've got a show to put on. "I'm coming for you, Two."

The red sun bleeds out the light of mourning.

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><p>(AN: Yes, that "mourning" is intentional. Read, review, you know the drill. Reviews make my day and keep me motivated, so send them in. I normally hate begging, but...yeah. I want to know how I'm doing so far with my first fic. I don't know why I tried to do first person present when I usually write third person past...ah well. Review!)


	17. Assassins and Mind Games

(A/N: I am so sorry for the impromptu hiatus. After seeing the movie, I just lost all inspiration and motivation for the story for some time and only picked it up again recently. (I really shouldn't watch movies of my favorite books, they tend to make me leave the fandom.) It didn't help that I forgot my notebook when I went on vacation overseas. No music this time; either that or I simply forgot what songs were supposed to be used. Without further ado, the chapter.

Oh, right. I don't own the Hunger Games.)

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><p>Assassins and Mind Games<p>

I unsheathe my axe in anticipation of a hunt when a thought hits me. Why go chasing after them during the day, when we're all moving? It's much easier to hit a stationary target than a mobile one. I'm no good at tracking, and this will yield the best results. I shimmy down the tree and spend the day attempting to return to normal, going through the motions of normality. I can't cry—the time for that has passed and I can't afford another breakdown.

Hunter's sword is strapped to my back, a constant reminder of why I'm fighting. It's my fault he's dead. If I was more observant, I would've seen her and he wouldn't have had to save me. It's kill or be killed, and I would've been dead long ago if not for him. From the fireflies to the serpent in the spring, I'm only here now because he was there then. I owe my life to him several times over, yet I'm here and he's not? _Why? Why would you sacrifice yourself when you still have someone waiting for you? It should be me. I should be the one with the dart in my neck, dying like the scum I helped kill. You shouldn't have died for me, Hunter. I'm not worth it, brother…_

I've been lost in my thoughts for far too long. The sun, just rising when I started, is already at its zenith. If I'm going to find the girl from Two, I have to do it soon. _Clock is ticking, Aera. Clock. Is. Ticking. _I continue traveling in a straight line, hoping that I'm moving in the right direction. This arena is huge; we could be miles apart for all I know. Sooner or later, the Gamemakers will have to intervene. Until then, I'll keep moving.

Before long, I find myself at the border of the forest and the desert. On the ground, there's no hope for concealment. I climb, hoping the bird's-eye view will offer more. I ascend until the height could give me away, but I still get a clear view. I search the arena for something, anything that might give away the locations of my enemies. A fire, a camp, some movement, something, anything. Looking out over the desert yields nothing. Looking over the forest yields plenty of vegetation and nothing else. I highly doubt that anyone is living in the desert, so I turn around and head back into the forest. _Where can you possibly be hiding?_

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," I croon softly to myself. "Afraid of a fifteen year old girl? Pathetic. You killed my friend, but you can't face me? What kind of Career are you?"

If I can't find her, it won't be much of a problem. The Gamemakers will make sure we meet. With only three tributes left, the audience will be restless, placing bets and thirsting for blood. The odds must be in the favor of the two Careers right now. Hopefully, we won't be forced into a three-way fight. No doubt they'll gang up on me, and then the winner will be one of them. Not that they'd ever let a rebel win the Games…would they? We'll see.

Ugh, I've become lost in my thoughts again. When I come to, the sun is about to set and my legs are numb from sitting in the same position for so long. I slowly shift my weight and wince as feeling returns to my legs. I curse myself for spacing out and leaving myself vulnerable to everything. If Celeste or the girl from Two—what was her name? Mirage?—found me, I would've gone down without knowing what hit me, and that is exactly what I do _not_ want to do. I promised Hunter I'd go down fighting. It's a suitable end for a rebel; a suitable end for me.

The mutts have returned tonight. As their baying rises into the air, I join in, hoping to drive away my competitors. If they move, they'll make noise, and I'll be able to track them. Nothing happens though. There are no sounds of human origin anywhere in my territory. The lack of any activity is making me restless, making me anticipate the moment the Gamemakers decide to intervene and drive us together. I try not to think about how they'll do it and fail miserably. Will they use mutts? Bombs? Floods? Outright pick us up and place us next to each other?

My musings are interrupted when a deep snuffling around the base of my tree becomes audible. Looking down reveals a lone rockbeast mutt sniffing around, but whether for me or for food, I don't know. I'm glad for the company, even if it isn't human. "Hey there," I murmur softly. "About time I ran into one of you without you trying to rip out my throat." I sit in my tree talking to it for a few minutes when it looks up at me and growls. I simply stare at it, swinging my legs idly. "Well? What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to attack me?" It looks almost surprised by how calm I am. If I were in my right mind, I'd probably be running right now. After a few minutes of us staring at each other, I scoff, "You're no fun," and ascend into the canopy, facing the setting sun. A fluttering of wings near my right elbow draws my attention to a jabberjay perched nearby. I sneer, "So, who are you today? Hunter? Azani? My mother?"

The little avian answers in my own voice, "Who are _you_?"

"Good question. Who am I? Since you're using my voice, why don't you tell me about how I'm rebel scum that doesn't deserve to live, hm?" The spluttering of the Capitol person on the other side makes me grin. "Weren't expecting that, were you?"

The bird says in a somewhat horrified tone, "Who _are_ you?"

I state matter-of-factly, "I am Zephyra, rebel messenger of District Seven, sister, daughter, and friend. To you and others like you, I am the devil incarnate. The best part? You can't kill me yet."

"And why not? Your life is in our hands."

"I promised a show, and I haven't delivered yet. You know I don't plan on going home alive. Against two Careers? Are you kidding me? I only made it this far on the assistance of others."

"Ah, you've finally acknowledged how pathetic you are, Aera."

I snarl, "Aera is dead. Don't try my patience, attendant. The voices in my head are irritating enough."

"We can help you with that, you know. Get rid of them forever."

This is the first thing they've said that is worthy of note. "Really now? Tell me."

"If you can make it to the final two, we'll help you out. But you have to give us a show. Kill or be killed with style. Deal?"

"Deal. You better hold up your end of the bargain."

"Then you better not become boring. Your breakdown was rather fun to watch."

The simple mention of my earlier weakness triggers something that flips me from one extreme to the other. I try to stab the bird and it flies off, ending my communication with the attendant. I growl to the sky, "You want Savage? Too bad." I refuse to give in to what they want; I will never be one of their puppets.

I leap from tree to tree, searching for the girl from Two—I'm pretty sure her name is Mirage. How fitting. You see her, but she's not really there. If I can find her camp, then I might be able to set a trap for her. I still have most of my supplies and weapons. There will be no shortage of ways to exact my revenge when I find her.

The voices return, forcing me onward.

_If you don't find her tonight, they will be bored. Gamemaker intervention cannot be afforded. _

I can't lose my prey. Hours pass and the moon rises ever higher into the jeweled sky. At this point, the only thing that matters is finding Mirage. I refuse to die before her. At midnight, I see a faint glow radiating through the trees. I clap my hand over my mouth to stifle my gleeful laughter. _I've finally found you!_ Stalking closer to her camp—how arrogant, building a fire—my face-splitting grin grows impossibly wider as Mirage herself comes into view, sleeping peacefully.

_Thought you were safe, did you? You were so sure your opponents weren't enough of a factor to keep you from lighting a fire, and worse yet, _falling asleep _next to it._ I bet she thought she'd won already. As I stand over her, she looks much less threatening now than she did during her Reaping. Back then, she looked wicked, with her slender yet muscular frame, dark piercing eyes, and feline features. Now she looks haggard, with noticeable bags under her eyes, hollows in her cheeks, and small wounds everywhere on her exposed skin. She cut off one of her shirt sleeves to make a bandage, and the dirty piece of cloth is wrapped around her right forearm. Now, she simply looks like one of us. I suppose that's expected, as everyone puts on a façade of sorts when they were reaped. First impressions are everything in the Capitol. Perhaps she's weaker than she made herself out to be. I truly hope she is.

I step lightly around her camp, avoiding the remnants of skeletons that still reside in these woods. Those dusty old bones unnerved me so much when the Game first started. The thought that they were once people, now reduced to props in an arena, terrified me. But at the Cornucopia, when Hunter and I discovered the underground network that extended underneath the entire arena, I didn't pay them any attention. In fact, I actually forgot they were even there. Even after that, I had no problem with the skeletons hanging from trees and sitting in the riverbeds. They ceased to be real to me.

This girl must be a heavy sleeper. She hasn't moved once since I arrived. Without checking what's inside, I grab her pack and stow it away in the brush, planning to sort through it later. Now that I have all I need, the real fun can begin. But what can I do? My eyes fall upon her fire and a wicked grin slowly spreads across my face. _Feel the fire of my fury._

I take the wood from her stockpiles of kindling and build up a small wall around as she sleeps. I make quite a bit of noise as I build up the wood, but she doesn't wake. A heavy sleeper _and_ overconfident? A terrible combination, especially at this point in the Games. When I finish, I look at the short barrier and am unsatisfied. She could still step over it and attack me.

I cut a length of rope and tie her hands and feet together as tightly as I can without waking her up. How fortunate that she sleeps in the fetal position instead of sprawling everywhere. Mirage cut down some of the skeletons hanging from the trees to get the rope. I take some of the skulls and place them next to her face. Finally, she stirs. This is my chance. "Wake up, Mirage," I croon.

Her eyes flutter open and she looks at me in confusion. She yawns, "Who are you?"

It's such a simple statement, yet it manages to flip me from one extreme to the other once more. Sheer hatred courses through me, and I slap her in the face. "You don't remember me?"

In my mind, Hunter's words echo, '_After a while, they all start to look the same.'_ Does this mean she's used to killing? I wouldn't be surprised. I take a knife and slice into her arm. I'm rewarded with only a small squeak. I forgot that Careers are trained to keep from showing weakness. But that's okay, I'll hear her scream soon enough. I take a knife and place it against her side, relishing the way her breathing hitches and speeds up.

_**Make her know your pain. **_

_Gladly. _I'm only too willing to do this. A tiny voice asks what happened to me, but I silence it and continue. The knife slips through cloth and tissue like butter, scraping along her top rib. She cries out, but it's far too late to stop me. I drag the knife down and across in a diagonal line, making sure it catches on each rib. Her terrifying whimpers are disgustingly satisfying, and I end up cutting deeper as the blade makes its way back across, leaving her with a large Z-shaped laceration. I peel back a flap of fabric and pull out one of the feathers from the steel birds. I look at it fondly, briefly reminiscing the past few weeks and how far I've gone. Before all the emotions hit, I slash the other half of my rebel signature into her back, delighting in her shudders and stifled screams.

She's unsuccessfully hiding the pain in her voice when she impatiently says, "Will you just hurry up and kill me already?" I can't help but laugh at the bravado. It's a shame she's my opponent, we may have gotten along in District Seven.

"Do you really care if you live or die?"

"Not anymore. At this point, I'm dead already, aren't I? So hurry up." She's a convincing actress, but I can see the fear in her eyes.

"No. I'll take my time with you," I purr.

"Why, because I killed your boyfriend?" she mocks.

I slash through her cheek and snap, "He wasn't my boyfriend, he was my brother!" A wicked light comes into her eyes and she laughs spitefully. I snarl and stab her in the side, taking care not to kill her. I want her to feel all of this. I take a bit of the Capitol brew and heal the worst wounds a bit. Leaning down, I whisper, "Since I can't get fireflies, I'll just use the real thing. I've got a show to put on, after all."

I grab one of the burning logs at the edge of the fire and place it near her head, close enough that it starts to singe her pretty blonde hair. I grab another piece of wood and light the end, turning it into a torch. One by one, I light the bundles of wood surrounding her until a short wall of flames separates us. Her screams of panic are music to my ears, but it's not enough. I throw the leftover firewood over the wall, making sure it lands on her, and follow with the torch. As the screams of panic turn into shrieks, I cackle. Because _this…_this is a real show! It's so different from what I did to the girl from Nine. So much more…_fun._

The voices return, praising me while I watch Mirage burn with sick glee. The screaming has stopped, but there hasn't been a cannon shot yet. I don't care about the smell of roast flesh that fills the air, or the huge column of white smoke snaking into the now overcast sky. If it attracts Celeste, then that's good. I won't have to waste energy searching for her. Mirage's cannon finally echoes through the arena and I heave a tired sigh.

Final two. I can't believe I made it this far. I turn my back to the fire and withdraw to my forest, mumbling responses to the voices. Then I remember I'm still carrying Mirage's pack and I head up a tree to check its contents. Hmm. She didn't have much, just some food and a knife. I guess she stopped resupplying once she made it to the final three. I just add the contents of her pack to mine and slip the knife onto my belt.

With nothing to do but wait, I sit in the tree and throw the empty pack toward the now empty camp of Mirage. Before long, a fluttering of wings announces the arrival of a visitor. Without even looking, I ask, "Do the others talk to you like this, or am I the only one with the _privilege_ of speaking with you lot?"

The mutt answers back with an earsplitting shriek that startles me so badly I fall out of the tree. I look back up to find my visitor isn't a jabberjay at all, but another type of bird mutt. This mutt is brightly colored, not unlike the exotic looking birds I've seen the Capitol inhabitants keep as pets. Most of its plumage is a deep royal blue, save for blindingly bright yellow flight feathers, a fiery red throat patch and markings around the eyes, and metallic green tail feather ends. Its beak is short, thick, and oddly enough, white, as are its legs.

I just hiss at the bird and pick myself up. _You just haven't punished me enough, have you, Capitol? Driving me out of my mind by turning me back into Zephyra wasn't good enough for you? Now I have to go deaf too? _It opens its mouth and lets out another shrill wail that brings me to my knees. The second it shuts up, I run away as fast as I possibly can. I'm not letting my guard down again.

The bird follows, screeching the entire time. The piercing notes muddle my mind and disorient me. I think I hear another bird making the same calls, but it might just be my ears ringing. The clouds break and lightning flashes, illuminating the arena and casting eerie shadows. The crack of thunder shakes the ground and sends the mutt flying off. Rain pours down in icy sheets driven by whipping winds, stinging my exposed skin and wounds. Another streak of lightning races across the sky, heralding the mighty thunder. The wind blocks out all sound as I stumble blindly through the arena. The only way of knowing where I'm heading is the change of ground beneath my feet. I've started stepping on and over bones, so I must be near the Cornucopia.

Only when I trip over a skull do I look up and properly survey my surroundings. As I suspected, I'm at the Cornucopia. Even though it's a mangled lump of metal, there's still space for someone to enter and hide. Luckily, the entrance to the tunnels has been sealed, so the serpent mutt shouldn't be showing up any time soon. The rain is still coming down in sheets and a mist rolls over the ground, concealing the ground. As expected, the Cornucopia is empty, but it still provides excellent protection from the elements and would force any attack from Celeste to come from the front, where I'll at least see her coming. The mutt drove me here for a reason, so here I'll wait.

With nothing to keep me occupied, the finality of the moment hits me. Either I trip at the finish line and die, or emerge victor. Then I realize I don't care. If I win, nothing will be worth going back to. I wouldn't be able to face Hunter's little brother anyway. If I lose…well, there's nothing that can be done about that. One way or another, I will get out of here. "I just want this all to end," I whine. "Why wouldn't they just let me die like I was supposed to? Then none of this would have happened! Hunter might still be alive, I still would have been Aera, I wouldn't have been reaped…I'd be dead." _But…this way, I won't be able to hurt anyone else when I die. _I walk out of the Cornucopia and the rain washes away tears I hadn't realized I shed.

I was so determined to stay alive that I never saw what I lost: my family, my friends…myself. I really _am_ a monster now. Laughing brokenly, I howl, "Come on Celeste! Where are you? Come and get me! What are you waiting for? I'm right here!" Lightning flashes once more, illuminating the mutts surrounding the field of bones. I couldn't run if I wanted to. I draw my axe and let loose some of the pain and anger I've been bottling up in another inhuman wail. I silently, desperately pray to forbidden gods I no longer believe in for the strength to get me through this final battle.

The rising sun breaks through some of the clouds, lightening the arena ever so slightly. But it's enough to let me see her approach. She walks towards me with a triumphant smirk on her face and a red double-bladed spear in her hands. I meet her just outside the mouth of the Cornucopia and she pleasantly says, "Good morning, Aera. How was your night?"

I chuckle darkly, "It was the best night ever. Shame you missed the bonfire. So, are you ready to end this?" She nods and we cross weapons.

_May the odds be ever in my favor._

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><p>(AN: No promises on a quick next chapter. Now that school has started again, I have even less time to write than last year. Also, can anyone tell me why chapter 12 seems to be the jumping off point for this story? Besides the first two chapters, that one has the most views. And then the views drop off dramatically.)


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